“If,” Cuthbert said, “we could surprise the castle, it might well be that the baron would fall into your hands, and in that case you might be able to make your own terms with him.  How strong a force is he likely to have in his castle?”

“Some fifty or sixty men,” the knight replied; “for with such a force he could hold the castle against an attack of ten times their number, and he could in twelve hours call in his retainers, and raise the garrison to 300 or 400 men.”

Blondel warmly assented to Cuthbert’s scheme, and it was settled that at daybreak they should start to view the Castle of Rotherheim.  At early dawn they were in the saddle, and the three rode all day, until towards sunset they stood on the crest of a hill looking down into the valley of the Rhine.

The present aspect of that valley affords but a slight idea of its beauty in those days.  The slopes are now clad with vineyards, which, although picturesque in idea, are really, to look at from a distance, no better than so many turnip fields.  The vines are planted in rows and trained to short sticks, and as these rows follow the declivities of the hillside, they are run in all directions, and the whole mountain side, from the river far up, is cut up into little patches of green lines.  In those days the mountains were clad with forests, which descended nearly to the river side.  Here and there, upon craggy points, were situate the fortalices of the barons.  Little villages nestled in the woods, or stood by the river bank, and a fairer scene could not be witnessed in Europe.

“That is Rotherheim,” the knight said, pointing to a fortress standing on a crag, which rose high above the woods around it; “and that,” he said, pointing to another some four miles away, similarly placed, “is my own.”

Cuthbert examined closely the fortress of Rotherheim.  It was a large building, with towers at the angles, and seemed to rise almost abruptly from the edge of the rock.  Inside rose the gables and round turrets of the dwelling-place of the baron; and the only access was by a steep winding path on the river side.

“It is indeed a strong place,” Cuthbert said, “and difficult to take by surprise.  A watch no doubt is always kept over the entrance, and there we can hope for no success.  The only plan will be to scale the wall by means of a ladder; but how the ladder is to be got to so great a height, I own at present passes my comprehension.”  After much thought, Cuthbert went on, “It might, methinks, be practicable for an archer to approach the walls, and to shoot an arrow over the angle of the castle so that it would pass inside the turret there, and fall in the forest beyond.  If to this arrow were attached a light cord, it could be gained by one on the other side, and a stronger cord hauled over.  To this could be attached a rope ladder, and so this could be raised to the top of the wall.  If a sentinel were anywhere near he might hear the rope pulled across the battlements; but if as we may hope, a watch is kept only over the entrance, the operation might be performed without attracting notice.”