But these disadvantages were counterbalanced by the fact that Falkenberg
was situated much higher than Rheinstein, and was farther away from the
river, so that when the garrison descended to the water's edge it could
not return as speedily as was the case with Hohenfels' men. Rheinstein
stood directly over the water, and only two hundred and sixty feet above
it, while, comparatively speaking, Falkenberg was back in the country.
Still all these castles had been so long unmolested, and considered
themselves so secure, that adequate watching had fallen into abeyance,
and at Falkenberg guard was kept by one lone man on the tall campanile.
The attacking party saw no one on the battlements of the Castle, so
worked their way round the hill until the man on the tower was hidden
from them by the bulk of the Castle itself, and thus they crawled like
lizards from bush to bush, from stone to stone, and from rock-ledge to
rock-ledge, taking their time, and not deserting one position of
obscurity until another was decided upon.
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