the saddle, and the three rode all day, until toward
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 riverside. 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 riverside.

"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."

The kn