He cautioned Greusel to make
his march a silent one, and this order Joseph at first found some
difficulty in carrying out, but in any case he need have entertained no
fear. The strong red wine of Assmannshausen is a potent liquid, and the
inhabitants of the town were accustomed to song and laughter on the one
street of the place at all hours of the night.
When they arrived, the men were quiet enough, and speedily stowed
themselves away in their quarters at the stern of the barge, whereupon
Roland, the last to spring aboard, waved his hand at the captain to cast
off. The nose of the boat was shoved away from land, and then the
powerful sweeps dipped into the water. Slowly but surely she made her
way across the river; silent and invisible from either bank. The
current, however, swept them down opposite the twinkling lights of
Assmannshausen, after which, in the more tranquil waters of the western
shore, they rowed steadily upstream for about half a league, and then,
with ropes tied round trees growing at the water's edge, laid up for the
remainder of the night.
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