The fact that the watchman was
upon the Rhine side of the Castle greatly favored a stealthy approach
from any landward point.
At last the alarm was given; the gate opened, and, as it proved, every
man in the Castle went headlong down the hill. The amateur cracksmen
therefore had everything their own way, and while this at first seemed
an advantage, they speedily found it the reverse, for although they
wandered from room to room, the treasure could not be discovered. The
interior of Falkenberg was unknown to Roland, this being one of the
strongholds where he had been compelled to sleep in an outhouse. At last
they found the door to the treasure-chamber, for Roland suggested it was
probably in a similar position to that at Rheinstein, and those who had
accompanied Hohenfels' valet made search according to this hint, and
were rewarded by coming upon a door so stoutly locked that all their
efforts to force it open were fruitless.
Deeply disappointed, with a number of the men grumbling savagely, they
were compelled to withdraw empty handed, warned by approaching shouts
that the garrison was returning, so the men crawled away as they had
come, and made for the river, where on this occasion the boat already
awaited them.
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