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diff --git a/57466-0.txt b/57466-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f4c9ce8 --- /dev/null +++ b/57466-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4533 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 57466 *** + + + + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: Book Cover] + + + + +JACQUELINE OF THE CARRIER PIGEONS + + + + +[Illustration] + +THE MACMILLAN COMPANY +NEW YORK - BOSTON - CHICAGO - DALLAS +ATLANTA - SAN FRANCISCO + +MACMILLAN & CO., LIMITED +LONDON - BOMBAY - CALCUTTA +MELBOURNE + +THE MACMILLAN COMPANY +OF CANADA, LIMITED +TORONTO + + + + +[Illustration: Jacqueline and her Carrier Pigeon in the Procession] + + + + +[Illustration: Title Page] + + + + +Copyright 1910 +BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY + +Set up and electrotyped. Published March, 1910 +PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BY +THE BERWICK & SMITH CO. + + + + +TO + +MY SEVEREST CRITIC, + +MY FATHER, + +AND TO + +VIRGINIA + +WHO WAS ITS INSPIRATION, + +I DEDICATE THIS BOOK + + + + +INTRODUCTION + +FAIR LEYDEN + + +I am glad that Mrs. Seaman has written this story. Americans cannot know +Leyden too well, for no city in Europe so worthily deserves the name of +Alma Mater. Here, after giving the world an inspiring example of +heroism, modern liberty had her chosen home. The siege, so finely +pictured in this story, took place about midway in time between two +great events--the march of Alva the Spaniard and his terrible army of +"Black Beards" into the Netherlands, and the Union of Utrecht, by which +the seven states formed the Dutch Republic. + +This new nation was based on the federal compact of a written +constitution, under the red and white striped flag, in which each stripe +represented a state. Under that flag, which we borrowed in 1775 and +still keep, though we have added stars, universal common school +education of all the children, in public schools sustained by taxation, +and freedom of religion for all, was the rule. Leyden won her victory +seven years before the Dutch Declaration of Independence in July, 1581. +As our own Benjamin Franklin declared, "In love of liberty and bravery +in the defense of it, she (the Dutch Republic) has been our great +example." + +With freedom won, as so graphically portrayed in this story, Leyden +enlarged her bounds and welcomed to residence and citizenship three +companies of people who became pioneers of our American life. Like the +carrier-pigeons, they brought something with them. To our nation, they +gave some of the noblest principles of the seven Dutch United States to +help in making those thirteen of July 4, 1776, and the constitutional +commonwealth of 1787, formed by "the people of the United States of +America." + +First of all, to victorious Leyden, came the Walloons, or refugees from +Belgium, to gather strength before sailing in the good ship New +Netherland, in 1623, to lay the foundations of the Empire State. Then +followed the Pilgrim Fathers of New England. Many of the young and +strong who sailed in the Speedwell and Mayflower were born in Leyden and +spoke and wrote Dutch. The old folks, who could not cross the Atlantic, +remained in Leyden until they died and some were buried in St. Pancras +and St. Peter's Church. In this city, also, dwelt the Huguenots, in +large numbers, many of whom came to America to add their gifts and +graces to enrich our nation. Last, but not least, besides educating in +her university hundreds of colonial Americans, including two sons of +John Adams, one of whom, John Quincy Adams became president of the +United States, Leyden in 1782, led in the movement to recognize us as an +independent country. Then the Dutch lent us four millions of dollars, +which paid off our starving Continentals. Principal and interest, repaid +in 1808, amounting to fourteen millions, were used to develop six +thousand square miles of Western New York, when New Amsterdam (later +called Buffalo) was laid out, and whence came two of our presidents, +Fillmore and Cleveland. + +A most delightful romance is this of Mrs. Seaman. True to facts and +exact in coloring, it is all the better for being the straightforward +narrative of a real boy and a genuine girl. Gysbert Cornellisen's +cooking pot, once smoking with savory Spanish stew or hodge-podge, is +still to be seen in the Stedelyk (city) Museum, which every American +ought to visit when in Leyden. It is in the old Laken Hal (or cloth +Hall). From the turreted battlements of Hengist Hill (Den Burg) we may +still look out over the country. If in Leyden on October 3, one will see +Thanksgiving Day celebrated, as I know it was, most gaily, in 1909, in a +most delightfully Dutch way, when the brides of the year are in +evidence. In Belfry Lane, where Jacqueline lived, was the later home of +the Pilgrim Fathers. On the wall of great Saint Peter's church is a +bronze tablet in honor of the pastor of the Mayflower company, and +inside is the tomb of Jean Luzac, "friend of Washington, Jefferson and +Adams." His newspaper, printed in Dutch and French, during our +Revolutionary War, won for us the recognition of three governments in +Europe. On the Rapenburg, where he lived, a bronze tablet in his honor +was unveiled, to the singing of "The Star Spangled Banner" on September +8, 1909. + +Having spent weeks in Leyden, during a dozen visits, I can testify to +the general historic accuracy, as well as to the throbbing human +interest of this story of _Jacqueline of the Carrier Pigeons_. It will +be sure to attract many a young traveller to Leyden. + + WILLIAM ELLIOT GRIFFIS. + Ithaca, N. Y., January 8, 1910. + + + + +CONTENTS + + + CHAPTER PAGE + I. ON HENGIST HILL 3 + II. THE KING'S PARDON 19 + III. GYSBERT BECOMES A JUMPER 35 + IV. IN THE CAMP OF THE ENEMY 51 + V. THE DECISION OF JACQUELINE 67 + VI. THE COMING OF THE FIRST PIGEON 83 + VII. A SWIM IN THE CANAL--AND WHAT CAME OF IT 99 + VIII. "TRANQUIL AMID RAGING BILLOWS" 113 + IX. VROUW VOORHAAS'S SECRET 129 + X. THE BEGGARS OF THE SEA 141 + XI. JACQUELINE RESPONDS TO AN URGENT SUMMONS 155 + XII. REUNITED 169 + XIII. ADRIAN VAN DER WERF 185 + XIV. ALONZO DE ROVA IS AS GOOD AS HIS WORD 201 + XV. THE EAVESDROPPERS AND THE PLOT 213 + XVI. WHEN THE WIND CHANGED 229 + XVII. A CRASH IN THE NIGHT 245 + XVIII. THE DAWN OF OCTOBER THIRD 261 + XIX. THE SECRET OUT 277 + XX. THE GREAT DAY 289 + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + +FROM DECORATIVE DRAWINGS +BY GEORGE WHARTON EDWARDS + + + Jacqueline and her carrier pigeons in the procession _Frontispiece_ + FACING PAGE + Gysbert draws the portrait of Alonzo De Rova 62 + Dirk Willumhoog seizes Jacqueline 292 + + + + +ON HENGIST HILL + + + + +CHAPTER I + +ON HENGIST HILL + + +The hush of a golden May afternoon lay on the peaceful, watery streets +of Leyden. Just enough breeze circulated to rustle the leaves of the +poplars, limes and willows that arched the shaded canals. The city +drowsed in its afternoon siesta, and few were about to notice the boy +and girl making their way rapidly toward the middle of the town. +Directly before them, the canal-interlaced streets and stone bridges +gave place to a steep incline of ground rising to a considerable height. +Its sides were clothed with groves of fruit trees, and from its summit +frowned the mouldering walls of some long-forsaken fortress. So old and +deserted was this tower that a great clump of oak trees had grown up +inside of it, and overtopped its walls. + +"Art thou tired, Gysbert?" asked the girl, a slim, golden-haired lass of +seventeen, of her younger brother, a boy of little over fourteen years. + +"No, Jacqueline, I am strong! A burden of this sort does not weary me!" +answered the boy, and he stoutly took a fresh grip on some large, +box-like object wrapped in a dark shawl, that they carried between them. + +Up the steep sides of the hill they toiled, now lost to sight in the +grove of fruit trees, now emerging again near the grim walls of the old +battlement. Panting for breath yet laughing gaily, they placed the +burden on the ground, and sat down beside it to rest and look about +them. Before their eyes lay pictured the sparkling canal-streets of the +city, beyond whose limits stretched the fair, fertile plains of Holland, +and in the dim distance the blue line of the boundless ocean. Gysbert's +eyes grew misty with longing. + +"Ah! if I had but brush and colors I would paint this," he sighed. "I +would paint it so that all the world would think they looked upon the +very scene itself!" + +"Some day thou shalt have them, Gysbert, if thou dost but possess +thyself with patience," answered his sister, with the gentle yet +authoritative air of her three years' senority. "We will raise many +pigeons and train them. Then, when the price we have obtained from them +is sufficient, thou shalt buy an artist's outfit, and paint to thy +heart's content. Meantime thou must practice with thy charcoal and +pencil, and wait till the war is over." + +Both sat silent for a while, each occupied with thoughts that were, in +all probability, very similar. The little word "war" recalled to them +memories, pictures, speculations and fears, all very painful and +puzzling. Neither one could remember the time when their peace-loving +land of the Netherlands had been allowed to pursue its avocations +unmolested by the terrible Spanish soldiery. From time immemorial had +these fair provinces been tightly grasped in the clutch of Spain. Now at +last they were awakening, rousing themselves from the long inaction, and +striking the first bold blows for liberty from the relentless oppressor. +Little did the children dream, as they sat looking out over the +beautiful city, that this same year of 1574, and this same Leyden were +to witness the great turning-point of the struggle. + +"Look, look, Jacqueline! There is the church of Saint Pancras, and there +is our house in Belfry Lane. I can almost see Vrouw Voorhaas looking +from the window! Come, let us set free the pigeons!" And Gysbert, all +excitement, began to fumble with the wrappings of the bundle. Jacqueline +rose, threw back the two golden braids that had fallen across her +shoulders, and knelt down to superintend the work. + +Very carefully they removed the dark shawl and laid it aside, disclosing +a box roughly fashioned like a cage, containing four pigeons. The +frightened birds fluttered about wildly for a moment, then settled down +cooing softly. When they had become accustomed to the daylight, +Jacqueline opened one side of the box, thrust in her arm, and drew +toward her a young pigeon of magnificent coloring, whose iridescent neck +glittered as if hung with jewels. The girl cuddled the bird gently under +her chin, and with one finger stroked his handsome head. + +"Let us send 'William of Orange,' first," she said. "He is the finest, +strongest and wisest, and will lead the way. I am glad we named him +after our great leader." + +"But the message!" Gysbert reminded her. "We must not forget that, or +good Vrouw Voorhaas will never know whether he got back first or not. +She cannot seem to remember one pigeon from another. Here, I will write +it." He drew from his pocket a tiny scrap of paper on which he hastily +scrawled:--"'William of Orange' brings greetings to Vrouw Voorhaas from +Jacqueline and Gysbert." This he wrapped about the leg of the bird and +tied it with a string. "Now, let him go!" he cried. + +Jacqueline stood up, lifted the bird in both hands, and with a swift +upward movement, launched him into the air. The pigeon circled round and +round for a moment, then mounted up into the sky with a curious spiral +flight. When it was many feet above the children it suddenly changed its +tactics, spread its wings taut, and made straight in the direction of +Saint Pancras spire and Belfry Lane. + +"Bravo! bravo!" they cried, watching intently till its sun-gilded wings +had all but faded from sight. "'William of Orange' is a true carrier +pigeon! Now for the rest!" + +One after another they released the three remaining birds to whom they +had given the names 'Count Louis' and 'Count John' after the great +William of Nassau's two favorite brothers, and lastly 'Admiral Boisot.' +It seemed to be a fancy of the children to call their pets after their +famous generals and naval commanders. + +"These are the finest pigeons we have raised," remarked Jacqueline as +she shaded her eyes to watch their flight. "None of the others can +compare with them, though all are good." + +"Now we have twenty," added Gysbert, "and all have proved that they have +the very best training. No pigeons in the city are like ours, not even +old Jan Van Buskirk's. When shall we begin to hire them out as +messengers, Jacqueline?" + +"Perhaps there will be an opportunity soon," answered the girl. "Now +that our city is no longer besieged we may have to bide our time. But no +one can tell what will happen next in these days. We must wait, +Gysbert." + +"Come, come! let us be going," said her brother restlessly, "and see if +they all get back safely, and whether 'William of Orange' was first." + +"No, let us stay awhile," replied Jacqueline. "It is pleasant and cool +up here, and the afternoon is long. Vrouw Voorhaas will let the birds +in, and tell us all about when they arrived. We may as well enjoy the +day." + +She reseated herself and gazed off toward the blue line of the ocean, +shut out from the land by a series of dykes whose erection represented +years of almost incredible labor. The river Rhine making its way +sluggishly to the sea,--a very different Rhine from that of its earlier +course through Germany,--was almost choked off by the huge sand dunes +through which it forced its discouraged path. The girl's thoughtful mood +was infectious, and Gysbert, after rambling about idly for a time, came +and settled himself at her side. + +"'Tis a strange hill, this, is it not, Jacqueline, to be rising right in +the middle of a city like Leyden? Why, there is nothing like it for +miles upon miles in this flat country! How came it here, I wonder?" + +"Father used to tell me," said the girl, "that some think it was the +work of the Romans when they occupied the land many centuries ago, while +more declare that it was raised by the Anglo-Saxon conqueror Hengist. +That is why it is called 'Hengist Hill.'" + +"How different it would have been for us if father had lived!" exclaimed +Gysbert, suddenly changing the subject. "It seems so long ago, and I was +so young that I do not remember much about him. Tell me what thou +knowest, Jacqueline. Thou art older and must remember him better." + +"Yes, I was eleven," said Jacqueline with a dreamy look in her eyes, +"and thou wast only eight, when he went away and we never saw him +again. We had always lived in the city of Louvain, and father was a +professor of medicine in the big university there. Mother died when thou +wast but a little baby. I can just remember her as tall and pale and +golden-haired, and very gentle. Good Vrouw Voorhaas always kept house +for us, and we had a big house then,--a grand house,--and many servants. + +"Father was so loving and so kind! He used to take me on his knee and +tell me many tales of Holland and the former days. I liked best those +about the beautiful Countess Jacqueline of Bavaria, after whom he said I +was named, and of how good and beloved she was, and how much she +suffered for her people. + +"Then came the day when he disappeared--no one knew how or where for a +while--till the news reached Vrouw Voorhaas that he had been captured by +the cruel Duke of Alva and put to death. It was at the same time that +the young Count de Buren, the eldest son of our great William of +Orange, was kidnapped from the University where he was studying, and +taken a captive to Spain. We had little time to think of that outrage, +so great was our grief for our dear father. Vrouw Voorhaas dismissed all +the servants, closed the house and sold it, and we came to Leyden to +live in the little house in Belfry Lane, where we have been ever since." + +The boy listened spellbound, though the recital was evidently one that +had been oft-repeated, but had never lost its mystery and sorrowful +charm. + +"I was so little," he said at last, "I only remember our father as a +tall man with gray hair and beard, and very blue, twinkling eyes. It is +all like a dream to me! But is it not singular, Jacqueline, that Vrouw +Voorhaas will never talk about him to us, nor answer any questions when +we ask about him? And she has told us never to mention his name to +others, and has made us change our last name from Cornellisen to +Coovenden. I wonder why!" + +"It is very strange," agreed Jacqueline, shaking her head, "and I do not +understand it myself. She told me once that I should know some day, and +till then must never question her." But the restless spirit had again +seized Gysbert, and he scrambled to his feet to make another tour around +the old fortress. Suddenly the girl was startled by his loud, insistent +shout: + +"Jacqueline, Jacqueline! come here! There is something very odd coming +across the plains! Come quickly!" She rose and ran to the other side of +the hill where she found Gysbert shading his eyes with one hand. With +the other he pointed to a thin, dark, undulating line moving slowly in +the direction of the city, while here and there the sun caught a flash +of blue and white, as from waving banners. Jacqueline's cheeks grew +white. + +"The Spaniards!" she breathed. + +"The Spaniards indeed!" shouted Gysbert. "And coming to besiege the city +once more, when we thought they had left us for good and all. In five +hours at most, they will be here in front of the walls. We must run to +warn the Burgomaster Van der Werf to strengthen the defences and make +all speed to close the gates. There is not a moment to lose! Come!" + +And without another thought but for the safety of the beautiful city, +the two children clasped hands and ran at top speed down the steep +hillside, in the direction of the great statehouse. + + + + +THE KING'S PARDON + + + + +CHAPTER II + +THIS KING'S PARDON + + +A week had passed, and Leyden lay encircled by the Spanish army in a +state of close siege. Eight thousand troops under the Spanish commander +Valdez surrounded the city, sixty-two redoubts had been raised to +bombard its walls, and moreover, the number of the enemy was daily +increasing. + +But _within_ the town were only a small corps of burgher guards, and +"freebooters" under the command of brave John Van der Does. Three +sources alone supplied the reliance of the beleaguered city,--their +trust in God, the stout hearts and willing hands of the inhabitants, and +the sleepless energy of Prince William of Orange, their heroic national +commander. + +Jacqueline stood in the dove-cote one morning about eight days after +the trip to Hengist Hill, feeding her little troop of carrier pigeons. +Her golden hair fell over her shoulders in two shining braids, her eyes +sparkled, and her cheeks glowed with the pleasure of her occupation. +Upon her shoulders, her hands, and even her head perched the feathered +pets, so tame that they fairly disputed among themselves for the +privilege of her attention. The dove-cote was a room on the top floor of +the little house in Belfry Lane. The sun streamed in brightly through +the large open window, the walls were lined with boxes serving as nests, +and every detail of the room was, through the untiring efforts of +Jacqueline, as neat and immaculate as a new pin. + +Suddenly the door opened and Gysbert, hatless and panting, stood on the +threshold. + +"Ah, Jacqueline!" he exclaimed, with true artist's instinct. "What a +beautiful picture thou dost make, standing there in the sunlight with +the pigeons all around thee! Had I but time I would bring my pencil, +and sketch thee just as thou art. But hurry, hurry! The Burgomaster Van +der Werf is going to make a speech and read two proclamations from the +steps of the statehouse. Every one will be there. Come, we must get near +the front!" + +"Yes, yes!" echoed Jacqueline, as eager as the boy. "Close thou the door +tightly, Gysbert, and we will hurry, that we may not miss a word. Ah, I +hope that the good William the Silent has sent the city a message!" + +Out into the street they sallied, mingling with the crowd that was +surging toward the open square in front of the great statehouse. The +bells of Saint Pancras sounded the signal for a public meeting, and one +could read from each earnest, excited countenance, the importance that +was placed on being present in this crisis. + +"Look!" cried Gysbert. "There is Jan Van Buskirk not far ahead. I +thought he was too ill with lumbago to leave his bed! See how he +hobbles along! Let us join him, Jacqueline." They ran ahead and caught +up with the old man, who greeted them cheerily, in spite of the pains +with which his poor bent body was racked. + +"Yes, I managed to crawl out of my bed," he assured them. "'Tis +important that every one should attend these meetings in such a pass as +we are now. Think you we will hear word from William the Silent?" + +"Aye, but I hope so, though I do not yet know certainly," answered the +boy. "We have received no word from him since the siege began. Surely he +will not desert us in this hour of need!" + +"See, Gysbert!" whispered Jacqueline. "There is that evil-looking Dirk +Willumhoog across the street. Do not let us get near him. His very +appearance makes me shudder!" The girl shrank closer to her brother and +old Jan. + +"Surely thou art not afraid of him, Jacqueline!" said Gysbert +scornfully. "'Tis true I detest him myself, but I fear him not. What +harm can he do us?" + +"I do not know," replied his sister, "but there is that in his look that +makes me think he would harm us if he could!" + +"Poof!" exclaimed Gysbert. "Did I not tell thee that he stopped me in +the street one day, and asked me who we were, and where we lived, and +who took care of us? I reminded him that it was naught of his affairs, +as far as I could see, and left him to scowl his ugly scowl as I walked +away whistling." + +But the crowd had swept Dirk Willumhoog from their sight, and in a few +moments they found themselves in the great square surging with people, +and as fortune would have it, almost directly in front of the imposing +statehouse, from whose high, carved steps the proclamations were to be +read. They were not a moment too soon, and had but just pushed their way +to the front, near a convenient wall against which Jan might lean, when +Adrian Van der Werf, the dignified and honored Burgomaster of the city, +appeared on the stone steps high above the crowd. The Universal babel of +tongues immediately ceased, and the hush that followed was broken only +by the occasional booming of the Spanish guns battering at the walls of +the city. Then the Burgomaster began to speak: + +"Men and women of Leyden, I am here to read to you two +proclamations,--one from our beloved William the Silent, Prince of +Orange-Nassau,--" here he was interrupted by loud and prolonged cheers +from the multitude, "--and one from His Majesty, King Philip the Second +of Spain." The absolute and scornful silence with which the people +received the last name was but a fitting indication of their hatred. + +"I shall read the message from the Prince of Orange first." And while +the people listened in eager, respectful silence, he repeated to them +how their Prince and leader, whose headquarters were now at Delft and +Rotterdam, sympathized with them sincerely in their fresh trouble, and +how he deplored the fact that they had not followed his suggestion to +lay in large stocks of provisions and fortify their city while there had +been time in the months before the siege. The Prince reminded them that +they were now about to contend, not for themselves alone, but for all +future generations of their beloved land. The eyes of the world were +upon them. They would reap eternal glory, if they exhibited a courage +worthy of the cause of their liberty and religion. He implored them to +hold out for three months, in which time he would surely devise means +for their deliverance. + +He warned them to take no heed of fair promises from the Spaniards if +they would surrender the city, reminding them of how these same soldiers +had behaved at the sieges of Naarden and Haarlem, when, in spite of +their declaration to let the citizens go out in peace, they had rushed +in and murdered every one as soon as the gates were opened. Finally, he +begged them to take a strict account of all the provisions in the city, +and be most saving and economical with food, lest it should fail them +before the siege was raised. When the message was ended the crowds +cheered themselves hoarse, and when the burgomaster inquired what word +they desired him to send the Prince, they shouted as with one voice: + +"Tell him that while there is a living man left in the city we will +contend for our liberty and our religion!" + +"And now," continued Adrian Van der Werf, "hear the proclamation of the +King of Spain. He invites all his erring and repentant subjects in the +Netherlands, and especially Leyden, to return to his service and he will +extend to them full forgiveness for all their crimes. He declares that +if any will lay down their arms, surrender themselves, and become his +loyal subjects once more, that they shall receive his pardon, and all +shall be forgotten. He has authorized General Valdez to say that if the +city will surrender at once, that the citizens shall be shown every +mercy." No sooner had the burgomaster ceased to speak, than old Jan Van +Buskirk raised his voice: + +"It is a trap! Believe not in it!" + +"Yes, yes! It is a trap!" stormed the multitude. "We will have none of +it! We will die to the last man, before we will surrender!" + +"What right has that wretch of a Spanish King to offer _us_ pardon!" +growled Gysbert to his sister and Jan. "_He_ forgive us, indeed! And it +is he that has been doing all the wrong and committing all the crimes. +Many thanks to him, truly!" + +"But what message is it your pleasure that I shall send in answer to +this?" asked the burgomaster. + +"Tell him," roared Jan, who seemed to have constituted himself spokesman +for the people, "that the fowler plays sweet notes on his pipe, while +he spreads his net for the birds!" + +"Aye, aye!" assented the crowd approvingly. "Tell him that!" "'Tis a +good answer," commented Van der Werf, "and I will send it as it stands. +Now who will take advantage of this pardon for himself? Let any who may +feel so inclined come forward at once, and they shall be sent out of the +gates to go their chosen ways in peace." + +Another tense silence ensued. Each person stood his own ground stanchly, +and watched for any sign of wavering in his neighbor. Presently from out +the crowd there pushed a stout old man who finally gained the open space +before the burgomaster. + +"I am a brewer of Utrecht," he announced. "I do not live in this city +and have no desire to maintain the siege. I wish to take advantage of +the King's pardon!" + +"Be it as you wish, neighbor," answered Van der Werf. "Here are the +necessary papers. You shall pass out unmolested, at the opening of the +gate." The man received the papers, while the crowd looked on, muttering +in contemptuous undertones. + +"And I," declared another who had shoved his way to the front, "will +also receive the pardon, if you please." Jacqueline grasped her +brother's arm convulsively. + +"Dirk Willumhoog!" he whistled softly. "The city will be well rid of +him, to be sure, but what a coward!" + +When the two men had been furnished with the proper credentials, the +burgomaster commanded them to proceed at once to the principal city +gate, where they would be dismissed to the Spanish army outside. But as +they made their way down the wide Breede Straat, the fury of the crowd +broke loose. + +"Shame! Shame!" hissed the following throng. "Shame on the cowards who +desert their countrymen to join the despicable ranks of Spain! Thrice +shame on their accursed heads!" Straight to the walls of the city the +multitude pursued the fleeing men, now actually trembling for their +lives. The two children and old Jan, caught in the swirling throngs, +found themselves almost on the heels of the fugitives. Jan grunted and +spluttered his disapproval, but Gysbert seemed fairly boiling over in +his wrath, especially against Dirk Willumhoog. + +The gate having been reached, it was opened but the smallest crack +available by the guarding soldiers. The brewer from Utrecht squeezed his +bulky form with difficulty through the narrow aperture, followed by the +howls of the crowd. But Gysbert could contain himself no longer. +Breaking away from his sister's grasp, he rushed up to the remaining +fugitive and shouted in his face: + +"Shame on thee, Dirk Willumhoog, for a dog of a coward! Shame! shame!" +The man turned on him with so savage a countenance that Jacqueline could +not repress a frightened scream. The cry attracted the man's attention +to her also. + +"You shall rue this, you two!" he vociferated. "You shall rue this day +forever,--and for more reasons than you now think! You shall rue it!" +And the closing gate shut his wicked features and his impotent rage from +their sight. + + + + +GYSBERT BECOMES A JUMPER + + + + +CHAPTER III + +GYSBERT BECOMES A JUMPER + + +"Turn thy face a little more to the light, Jacqueline. I want to get a +full profile." + +In the little living-room of the house in Belfry Lane, sat the two +children, on an evening a month after the events of the last chapter. On +one side of the table Vrouw Voorhaas bent over a huge pile of mending, +casting an occasional loving and solicitous glance at her two charges, +but otherwise quiet, silent and reserved. She was a woman of large, +almost masculine proportions, and her muscular frame knew not the +meaning of fatigue. Her features were plain and unprepossessing to a +degree, but nevertheless grave and intelligent. She was rarely known to +smile, and her manner was as that of one weighted down with a great +responsibility. Gysbert frequently told his sister that Vrouw Voorhaas +acted as though she had some dark secret on her mind, and Jacqueline was +forced to admit the truth of the remark. Her devotion to the children +was beyond question, yet she seldom exhibited any outward expression of +affection. + +Jacqueline bent over a musty-looking old book, turning its pages +thoughtfully, and drawing her pretty brows together with a puzzled +expression at frequent intervals. Gysbert sat on the opposite side of +the table with pencil and paper before him, making a sketch of his +sister's head as she leaned over her book. + +"What is it thou art reading so intently?" he demanded at length. + +"'Tis an old volume that belonged to father's library,--the only book +that was not sold before we left Louvain," answered Jacqueline. Neither +she nor Gysbert noticed the startled glance with which Vrouw Voorhaas +raised her head at these words. Jacqueline continued: + +"It seems to be all about medicine. Thou knowest how that subject +interests me, Gysbert. I long, when I grow up to practice the healing +art. I feel in some way as if the gift were in me." + +"Poof!" said the boy. "Women are not fashioned to be physicians,--they +have other duties! Thou art mad, Jacqueline! Such business is not for +thee!" + +"Ah! I know it is not considered a woman's business, and few if any have +tried it. Yet there is the famous Queen Marguerite of Navarre. They say +she is the wisest woman in France, for all she is so young, and knows +not only Latin, Greek and other languages, but much about medicine and +the healing art also! I have been reading in this old book, but I can +make little out of it, for there is much Latin in it, of which I +understand nothing. But it is my great hope that some day I shall study +all about it, even though I never become a physician." + +While they were talking, Vrouw Voorhaas gathered up her work and without +a word, left the room. No sooner had she gone than Gysbert leaned across +the table, and spoke to his sister in a voice scarcely above a whisper: + +"Jacqueline, now that Vrouw Voorhaas is out of the way, I want to tell +thee several things, some of which I learned to-day. One thing I have +fully made up my mind to do,--I am going to become a 'jumper'!" + +"A 'jumper,' Gysbert! And what may that be?" + +"Why, I might as well begin at the beginning and explain it all," he +answered. "Thou knowest the siege has lasted now for over a month, and +things are beginning to look black for us. There is no more bread in the +city, and but very little of the malt-cakes on which we are all now +living. Precious glad I am that we were fortunate enough to lay in an +extra stock of seeds for our pigeons, or we should soon be reduced to +feeding on _them_! + +"Well, I was in the square before the statehouse this morning, and +through listening to and taking part in some of the gossip there, I +learned a few things. In the first place, our good William the Silent +cannot possibly raise a sufficient army to encounter the besieging +troops of the Spaniards, that's plain. Relief must come in some other +way, but how, God alone knows! However, our wonderful Prince is wise and +resourceful. Let us not despair, but trust him to save us, and do our +best to help. + +"Jacqueline, I am going to do _my_ part! To-morrow I go to Burgomaster +Van der Werf, to offer myself as a 'jumper.' Let me tell thee what that +means. The Prince wants a few swift, skillful messengers who will go out +of the gates secretly, in some kind of disguise, and make their way +through the Spanish forces to him. Now I am young, I know, but I am big +and strong, and I know my way around the walls and outside the city as +well and perhaps better than anyone in Leyden. And I want to _do_ +something! I can't sit around idle while all are helping in one way or +another. Why dost thou look so white and frightened, Jacqueline?" + +"Ah, Gysbert! thou must _not_ do this! Thou wilt surely be captured and +killed. Ah! I cannot allow it, nor will Vrouw Voorhaas!" + +"Vrouw Voorhaas must not know of it,--at least at first. And thou must +not interfere with me, dear sister. I know that our father, were he +alive, would approve of my decision. Did he not always tell us to be +courageous, and would he not wish us to serve our city in this great +distress?" This argument silenced Jacqueline's remonstrances. + +"Do what thou wilt, Gysbert, since thou thinkest that our father would +approve, only be not rash, and have a care for thy life. What would I +do if thou wert taken from me, brother?" + +"I will be most cautious, sister, never fear for that!" + +"But how shall we keep it from Vrouw Voorhaas? She would lock thee in a +room and never let thee out, did she but dream of thy decision!" + +"Thou mayst tell her that I am out helping with the defence of the city, +if I fail to come back for too long a period. That will be the strict +truth, yet not enough to alarm her seriously," answered Gysbert. + +"How absurdly worried and careful she has been about us, since the day +we told her of the King's Pardon and Dirk Willumhoog! She turned deathly +white at the mention of his name, and I thought she was going to faint +when we told her what he said before he left the gate. Dost thou +remember, Gysbert?" + +"Aye, but let me tell thee something else, Jacqueline. What dost thou +think of this? I saw Dirk Willumhoog in the city this morning!" + +"Gysbert! thou art surely joking! That cannot be possible. Since he was +expelled from the city, how could he get back?" + +"Ask me not how he got back, for I do not know. But the best of it is +that he did not see me, and he was so disguised that had it not been for +certain circumstances, I should never have known him. I had strolled up +Hengist Hill after leaving the Breede Straat, and had climbed into a +tree to get a better view of the Spanish army outside the walls. I was +sitting in the branches very quietly, when a man in a long cloak and big +slouching hat came out of the grove and sat down right under my tree. +Thinking himself alone, he took off his hat, threw aside his cloak, and +then to my great surprise, pulled off the thick beard that covered his +face! + +"'Ah, but it is hot!' I heard him mutter. Then he stood up and stretched +his arms, and I all but lost my hold and fell out of the tree when I +recognized who it was! He sat down again and rested for half an hour, +and I thought he would never go. Fortunately he did not once think of +looking up or he would have certainly seen me. At last he donned his +beard, hat and cloak, and sneaked off never dreaming who had watched his +every movement! I would give a good round florin to know what he is +after!" + +"Ah, I am sure it is some harm to us, he is plotting!" shuddered +Jacqueline. "Dost thou recall his look of hate on that dreadful day, +Gysbert? He has some reason for wishing us evil." + +"That may or may not be," answered Gysbert. "At any rate, I think he can +do us but little harm. However, thou shouldst be careful about going +abroad in the city alone, Jacqueline. Thou art not as strong as I." + +"I go nowhere except to purchase our small allowance of food--thou +knowst Vrouw Voorhaas never goes out at all now--and to visit poor Jan +Van Buskirk once a day, and take him some soothing medicine. He says +that nothing helps him like the decoction of my herbs, and nothing +charms away his pain like the touch of my hands. Dost thou know, +Gysbert, that he has been obliged to kill and eat most of his pigeons +since food has been so short? I know not what he will do when they are +gone!" + +"We will share our food with him, Jacqueline. He has always been so kind +to us, and taught us how to raise and train our pigeons. But now, let us +to rest! It is late, and I must see Burgomaster Van der Werf early +to-morrow." + +Poor Jacqueline's sleep that night was restless and tormented by +frightful dreams in which Gysbert's new and dangerous vocation, and the +evil face of Dirk Willumhoog bore no inconspicuous part. Gysbert, on the +contrary, slept sweetly and undisturbed as a year old baby, and rose +next morning betimes to seek what fortune he should meet in this new +enterprise. + +Adrian Van der Werf sat alone in his great office in the statehouse. His +fine face was clouded with an expression of intense gloom, and he shook +his head gravely as he looked out over the besieged city. Was this fair +spot to fall a prey to Spanish vengeance, as its sister cities had +fallen? He saw no hope in present prospects, for a better fate. +Presently an official opened the door and saluted him: + +"A small boy outside wishes to speak with your Worship." + +"Admit him," answered the burgomaster. "I am not engaged at present." +Glancing up as Gysbert entered, his face lighted with a smile of +recognition. + +"Ah! thou art the boy who warned us of the approach of the Spaniards! +Thou art a brave and thoughtful lad. What can I do for thee?" + +"Your Worship, I have a request to make," answered Gysbert promptly. "I +wish to serve my city by becoming a 'jumper?'" + +"A jumper--_thou_! But thou art scarce fourteen years of age, if I judge +rightly. It would be wicked to expose one so young to such dangers!" +exclaimed the astonished burgomaster. + +"Aye, your Worship, you have guessed my age correctly. But I am strong +and agile, and know the walls and outlying districts well. Moreover, I +have a plan that I trust will take me safely through the Spanish lines." + +"And what may be that plan!" demanded Van der Werf, more and more +amazed. + +"This," answered the boy. "I shall stain my skin and hair darker with +walnut juice, that I may not be recognized. And pretending to be +somewhat half-witted, I shall go out among the Spanish troops peddling +healing herbs. My sister raises many such in her little garden and has +taught me much of their use. In this way I can most likely get through +the lines, unsuspected and unmolested, and deliver any message to your +faithful ones who are beyond." + +"It is a clever scheme!" admitted the wondering burgomaster. "And if +thou dost act thy part well, thou wilt be fairly safe." + +"Likewise," added Gysbert, "I have some carrier pigeons that have been +exceedingly well-trained, and perchance could make them of use also." + +"The very thing!" exclaimed Van der Werf. "Our stock of carrier pigeons +waxes very low, having either died of starvation, or been eaten. I have +been wondering where I should find well-fed, well-trained birds to fill +their place. Canst thou take a couple at a time with thee? I must needs +send some to William the Silent at Delft, else we will get no more +messages from him." + +"Aye, I can bind two and take them at the bottom of my bag of herbs," +answered Gysbert. "I will wager for it that they shall be delivered +safely." Adrian Van der Werf spent a moment in silent consideration. + +"Thou art a brave and clever youth," he said. "But thou must know that +thou art risking much in this hazardous enterprise. However, God will +watch over those who serve Him. Come to me to-morrow bringing two +carrier pigeons, and I will instruct thee as to the message." And +Gysbert, highly pleased, departed for Belfry Lane, whistling lustily one +of the popular songs of the day: + + "Beat the drums gaily, + "Bub-dub a dub-dee! + "Beat the drums gaily, + "And the Spaniards will flee!" + + + + +IN THE CAMP OF THE ENEMY + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +IN THE CAMP OF THE ENEMY + + +In the cold gray mist of earliest dawn, Gysbert crept silently through +one of the city gates. So changed was his appearance that his own sister +would scarcely have known him, had she not assisted in effecting his +disguise, late the night before. His straight light hair had assumed a +dark brown color, and his fresh rosy complexion had suddenly become as +swarthy as any Spaniard's. His Dutch blouse, cap and wooden sabots were +exchanged for garments of a more foreign cut, and in his hand he bore a +large bag of assorted herbs, both green and dried. + +Thanks to an almost daily study of the Spanish camp from his perch on +Hengist Hill, he had selected the most favorable quarter for his egress +through the enemies' ranks--the situation farthest removed from the +headquarters of commander Valdez. + +The camp had very much the appearance of a little city of mushroom +growth--rows upon rows of tents, and here and there a hut of larger +proportions hastily constructed of boards. In the middle of one tented +street had been erected a rude shrine protected by an awning, at which +knelt a priest celebrating the early morning mass. The tinkle of the +silver bell calling to service was the only sound that broke the +silence. Gysbert proceeded cautiously, rejoicing at every step that took +him unmolested on his way, when suddenly a rough command arrested his +progress: + +"Halt! The password! What art thou doing here?" + +"_Requesens!_" answered Gysbert glibly, thanking his stars that the +burgomaster had not failed to inform him of the Spanish password for the +day. Van der Werf had two or three trusted spies in the Spanish army, +who kept him well posted as to their daily plans and watchwords. + +"_Requesens!_ is correct enough," replied the sentinel, "but who art +thou, and where art thou going so early?" + +"I am a Glipper," answered Gysbert in a sing-song nasal voice. "I come +from the city. We are starving there. I sell these healing herbs in +order to get some food." Now a Glipper was the name given to any +Hollander who sympathized with Spain, and they were as a rule very +favorably regarded by the Spaniards. Gysbert, being naturally truthful, +disliked exceedingly to thus falsify himself, but consoled his +conscience with the motto--'All's fair in war.' The sentinel looked him +over suspiciously, but concluded that he had not the appearance of a +genuine, out-and-out Dutch boy. Moreover, it was evident from his speech +and expression that he was not blessed with more than half the usual +quantity of wits. + +"Well, little fool, I will let thee pass, provided thou wilt supply me +with something healing for this wound in my hand where the gunpowder +from my musket burned me, yesterday morn." Gysbert hunted in his bag, +brought out a small bundle of dried leaves, and recited as if by rote: + +"Thou shalt steep these in boiling water. Thou shalt make a poultice +with the leaves thus steeped. Thou shalt bind it on thy wound. In two +days thou shalt be better." + +"Thanks, little numbskull! Thy poultice and not thy wits have saved +thee! And now, cut away quickly!" Availing himself not too hastily of +the permission, Gysbert strolled away as if there were not a thought of +danger in his mind. But no sooner was he out of sight of the sentinel +than he took to his heels and ran swiftly and silently through the still +sleeping camp. + +"If only I can reach the outskirts before they waken, all will be well!" +he thought. Once again only, at the edge of the encampment, he was +challenged by another sentry. But the password given, he was allowed to +go on without question, by a sentinel whose one sleepy thought was the +bed into which he hoped soon to turn. Once on the high-road to Delft, +Gysbert's troubles were for the time over, and he abandoned himself to a +leisurely walk, and to the enjoyment of his breakfast, a stale malt-cake +which he munched contentedly as he trudged along. + +Then the sun rose, the morning mist evaporated, and the waters of the +canal sparkled like jewels in the clear air of the July day. A lazy boat +with one big brown sail edged its way slowly along the canal in the +direction of Delft. + +"I might as well save my strength," argued Gysbert to himself, "and what +is more, I have time in quantities to spare. Hi!--Herr Captain, I pray +you take me on your gallant bark!" The captain looked up from a sail he +was mending, and scanned the boy from head to foot. + +"I like thee not," he answered. "Thou hast too much of the Spaniard +about thee, little frog! Thine own two good feet can carry thee!" +Gysbert was secretly delighted that his disguise was so effective, but +hastened to add: + +"Good Herr Captain, you are much mistaken. Look you!" And from the +bottom of his bag he pulled out two pigeons bound and helpless. + +"These be carriers!" he announced. "I am commissioned by Burgomaster Van +der Werf to take them to our Prince at Delft. Also I have a message, but +that is in my mind." Instantly the captain's surly manner changed. + +"Come aboard! Come thou aboard!" he called heartily. "Thou art a small +lad but a clever one. Here, catch this plank!" In two minutes Gysbert, +comfortably ensconced in the stern, had curled himself up to finish the +morning nap, with which his early expedition had seriously interfered. +In due time this easy-going vessel reached the Gate St. Catherine, the +principal entrance to Delft, and Gysbert disembarking, thanked the +good-natured captain for his assistance. + +"No thanks to me, youngster," replied the man. "It's all for the good +cause, and my name is Joris Fruytiers, shouldst thou ever meet me and +need my help again." + +Gysbert set off with all speed to the _Prinsenhof_, the palace where +William the Silent held his headquarters. One of the boy's greatest +desires in life was to see and speak with this great Father of his +country, the Prince of Orange, who had been for several years his hero +and idol. Hence his errand was all the more delightful to him since it +was to afford him this coveted opportunity. + +But this time he was doomed to disappointment. The Prince was away at +Rotterdam, and his commissioner, Paul Buys, took the message in his +stead. It was to the effect that the people of Leyden implored immediate +help. They were on the point of facing starvation, and feared lest the +weaker ones would lose courage and yield up the city. Paul Buys sent +word back to Van der Werf that the Prince of Orange was on the point of +putting into execution a scheme of release that he had long been +considering, and would send word by one of the carrier pigeons when he +was ready to put it into effect. + +Buys then told Gysbert that hereafter he would not have to come as far +as Delft with the pigeons, but could leave them at the farmhouse of +Julius Van Shaick, not far beyond Leyden, from whence they would be +conveyed to Delft in safety. Before the boy left for his homeward +journey, Buys superintended him in the disposal of such a meal as he had +not seen for many a long day, and he sighed only that he could not +convey some of it to Jacqueline and Vrouw Voorhaas. + +Trusting to no slow-moving canal vessel, but relying mainly on the +swiftness of his strong young legs, he accomplished the fifteen miles +back to Leyden in four hours, and at nightfall reached once more the +outskirts of the Spanish camp. But his passage through the enemy's midst +was not destined to be as uneventful as that of the morning. + +The camp streets were bustling with life and activity. Soldiers +promenaded up and down, women--the few who had chosen to follow their +husbands' fortunes--called to each other shrilly from the tent-doors, +and even some children ran hither and thither in garments of startling +untidiness. Gysbert hoped to escape notice in the general confusion, but +in this he was mistaken. A sudden hand was laid in no gentle manner on +his shoulder, and a voice from behind demanded: + +"The password!" + +"_Requesens!_" he replied confidently. + +"In that thou art much in error!" answered the soldier. "Dost thou think +that the password does not change from day to day? Thou art twelve +hours too late. Come thou with me!" and he led Gysbert to the door of a +tent which was empty and lighted only by a large fire outside. + +"Here, Alonzo de Rova!" he called to a burly sentinel. "Guard this young +interloper till I have time to report him to Commander Valdez." + +"Now," thought Gysbert, "I _am_ caught in earnest! But without seeming +to possess any wits, I will try to use those the good God has given me +as skillfully as I can." Alonzo de Rova paced up and down before the +tent door for a time, apparently utterly ignoring the boy, yet in +reality watching him keenly. + +Gysbert on his part kept his eyes well open, yet assumed the vacant gaze +he had attempted in the morning. Presently he took up a charred stick +from the fire that happened to lie near him, and with it commenced to +make some strokes on the white canvas of the tent. + +"What art thou doing?" demanded De Rova, and he drew near curiously to +examine the marks. + +"Why, by the Pope!" he exclaimed. "It is myself--my very self as I stand +here with my musket! Thou canst indeed draw, little stranger! Who art +thou?" + +"I am a Glipper," repeated Gysbert monotonously. "I sell healing herbs. +I also can draw." + +"Art thou indeed a Glipper? Well, that is not so bad! And look thou +here! Canst draw a good portrait of me on fine paper?" + +"Aye, I can!" answered Gysbert in his adopted nasal tone. + +"Well, thou hast evidently not all the wits that God usually gives us, +but thou shalt try," said De Rova, and he drew from his belongings a +sheet of paper, and what stood for a pencil in those days. + +[Illustration: Gysbert draws the Portrait of Alonzo de Rova] + +"Draw me well, little Glipper! Make of me a fine figure, for I wish to +send it to my sweetheart in Madrid, and we will see what can be done for +thee!" Drawing himself up to his full height he assumed a martial +position, ready for the likeness. He was truly a splendid specimen of a +soldier, and evidently very proud of his magnificent proportions. +Gysbert seized the pencil and paper, and went to work with a will. Never +had he striven so hard to give satisfaction, never had so much been at +stake, never had his art stood him in such good stead. When the picture +was finished Alonzo de Rova was profuse in expressing his wonder and +delight, and slipped a coin into the boy's hand. + +"And now, little artist, fly! Slip away under the back of the tent, when +I am not looking and no one will be the wiser. The captain who caught +thee is a good friend of mine, and beside I will tell him thou art a +Glipper. Remember Alonzo de Rova, and if thou dost ever come to the camp +again I will put thee in the way of earning a pretty penny, for there +are many like me who would gladly sit for their portraits. I doubt not +but that thou couldst make a florin a day at that work. One more word +of advice--the password for to-night is _Phillip_. Farewell!" With that +he turned his back on the boy and commenced pacing up and down before +the fire. + +Gysbert lost not a moment's time, but acting on the friendly soldier's +suggestion slipped out through a loose flap at the back of the tent. +Thanks to the now dense darkness and his knowledge of the password, he +escaped safely through the camp to the Cow Gate, where giving a peculiar +knock previously concerted between himself and the gatekeeper, he once +more stood secure within the city walls. Speeding homeward to Belfry +Lane he murmured to himself: + +"I have accomplished the mission without mishap, and have also made two +friends. On the whole, I think I have not done so badly!" + + + + +THE DECISION OF JACQUELINE + + + + +CHAPTER V + +THE DECISION OF JACQUELINE + + +On the morning of Gysbert's first venture into the midst of the enemy, +Jacqueline rose with a very heavy heart. She helped her brother with the +last preparations for his departure, aided him in escaping the vigilant +eye of Vrouw Voorhaas who was already at work though the hour was so +early, and bade him a tearful farewell as he sped down the silent +street. But her mind was full of foreboding, and she felt as though she +could never live through the time till he should return in safety. To +pass the weary hours and otherwise occupy her thoughts, she assisted +Vrouw Voorhaas with the daily routine of housework, cleaned the +pigeon-house, and fed her eighteen remaining pets with a scanty supply +of their rapidly diminishing stock of corn. + +Vrouw Voorhaas had many questions to ask concerning the whereabouts of +Gysbert whom she had not seen that day. Jacqueline parried these as best +she could, explaining that he had gone off early to execute some errands +for Burgomaster Van der Werf. Her companion, unconvinced that all was as +it should be, and vaguely uneasy about her youngest charge, accepted the +explanation somewhat distrustfully. To change the subject Jacqueline +began to talk about their supply of food and to make plans for +husbanding it to the last crumb. While she was talking her gaze suddenly +riveted itself on the tall form of the older woman. + +"Why Vrouw Voorhaas," she exclaimed, "how thin thou art growing! See, +thy dress dost hang about thee in great folds, and thine arms almost +show the bones! Surely we have not yet come to the pass when such loss +of flesh would be noticeable! What hast thou been doing?" + +"Nothing, nothing, child!" exclaimed the woman hastily. "I eat as +heartily as our supply of food will permit, but the hot weather always +did reduce my flesh. Hurry away now, and see what thou canst purchase at +the market, but try not to be seen too prominently. Young people are not +too safe in the streets in these wild times. Art going to visit old Jan +to-day?" + +"Yes," answered Jacqueline. "He grows worse and worse, though I do my +best to aid him. There seems to be something else ailing him beside just +his lumbago, but I cannot quite make out what it is, and he will not see +a physician. I will go out and gather some fresh herbs now to take with +me." + +The girl took her little basket and went out to her patch of garden at +the back of the house. Gay flowers bloomed in one half of it, but the +other was devoted to the cultivation of the medicinal herbs whose +healing properties she had carefully studied in the old book belonging +to her father. First she gathered a sweet-smelling bouquet of late roses +and jasmine to cheer the eyes of old Jan, and then stooping among the +herbs selected those most calculated to help his poor infirm body. When +this was done she re-entered the house, added some malt-cakes and a +bottle of Vrouw Voorhaas's cooling homemade wine, and proceeded on her +errand of comfort. + +Jan Van Buskirk's home was on a tiny street just off the +Marendorfstrasse, and to reach it Jacqueline was obliged to take a +rather circuitous route that led through the poorest section of the +city. What she saw there on that day tore her gentle heart with an agony +of sympathy. The weather was extremely hot and oppressive, and every one +seemed to have sought the coolness of the shaded street in preference to +the little suffocating rooms. Pale, emaciated children thronged the +doorways, many gnawing on dry unsightly bones from which the last +vestige of meat had long since disappeared. Sick babies wailed +fretfully, white, haggard men and women strove in vain to comfort them. +And here and there lay stretched on an improvised cot the form of some +person desperately ill, moaning piteously. Jacqueline contrasted the +scene with these same comfortable, happy people of a few months before +and her heart grew rebellious at the mighty suffering entailed in just +the little word "war." "Is there no help,--no help for it?" she asked +herself. + +Jan Van Buskirk was worse, unquestionably worse than when she had +visited him before, and his condition alarmed her seriously. He was +tossing from side to side, rolling his head feverishly, and muttering +incoherent words; nor did he seem in the least to recognize his little +friend. Jacqueline quietly determined that it was high time he had more +expert medical advice than she could offer, and went out hastily to +seek the nearest physician. Dr. Pieter de Witt was hard to find for his +duties were long and arduous in these dreadful days, but finally she +discovered him in the house of a poor family all sick but the mother who +could hardly drag herself around. Hearing Jacqueline's errand he made +haste to accompany her. One glance at the unconscious Jan told him the +tale. + +"My girl," he said, turning to Jacqueline, "go away from here as +speedily as thou canst. This man has the plague. It has broken out in +several parts of the city, owing to bad food or none at all, and this +man has caught it. Thou art exposing thyself to a terrible disease and +almost certain death. This is no place for thee. Go home, and I will +take care of the man to the best of my ability, but I doubt if he will +live, even so." + +Jacqueline's eyes opened wide with a startled look, and she glanced +uncertainly at Jan. The sick man stirred restlessly, then with a sudden +cry muttered her name in his feverish sleep. At that word the girl +formed her decision. + +"I will not go, Dr. de Witt. This man has been a friend to me and mine +ever since I can remember. I do not fear the plague, and even if I did +it would not keep me from giving all the aid I could to Jan Van Buskirk. +Moreover, I know a little about medicine myself, having read it in an +old book in my possession. I have raised healing herbs, and I also +possess one which has the power, they say, to protect from such diseases +if carried about the person. I will always have it by me, for I wish to +help you in nursing this my friend back to life and health." Dr. de Witt +looked her over for a moment in silent astonishment. Then he spoke: + +"Thou art a brave maiden, whoever thou art, and I would that there were +many more like thee! Help me thou shalt if such is thy determination, +and the good God will bless thee and protect thee from all harm. There +is much in having absolutely no fear of this contagion, and I see thou +hast none. With thy help we may perhaps save our old friend and +neighbor." Together they labored over the old man, and before he left, +the doctor expressed his amazed approval of the skill and knowledge +exhibited by this fair slip of a girl in tending and administering to +the sick. Beyond this too, something in her manner, her look and her +speech indefinably recalled to him old recollections. + +"Thou dost constantly put me in mind of some one," he remarked finally. +"Hadst thou ever any relation who was a physician? What is thy father?" + +"I have no father," answered the girl with the reticence she had learned +to exhibit through Vrouw Voorhaas's teaching. "He is long since dead." + +"But what is thy last name?" persisted the good doctor. + +"Coovenden," replied Jacqueline with the hesitancy she could never +quite overcome in pronouncing this assumed title. + +"Coovenden? Ah, it is not a name that I recognize--and yet there is +something,--I know not what, which stirs me!" And he went away shaking +his head thoughtfully. On her way home Jacqueline stopped at the public +market to purchase what scarce supply of provisions she was able to +obtain. + +"But this is a miserable little cabbage!" she expostulated mildly to the +huckster who served her. "And see! this mutton-bone has scarce any meat +upon it. 'Twill be watery soup that is made from this mess!" + +"And lucky thou art to have any soup at all!" answered the market-woman. +"I tell thee, girl, the time is coming when we shall be glad to eat the +grass that grows in the streets, and that's not far distant, either. I, +for one would gladly see the gates opened to the Spaniards. They are +better at least than slow starvation!" Jacqueline shrank away from her +at these words so like disloyalty to the great cause, and hurried home +with the news she had to tell. + +As the day wore on, Vrouw Voorhaas became more and more uneasy about +Gysbert, and questioned his sister so closely about his absence that she +had hard work quieting the woman's fears and at the same time hiding the +truth about him. She herself was beset by more definite terrors for his +safety than Vrouw Voorhaas could even guess, and though she did not +expect Gysbert before nightfall, counted the moments with +ever-increasing agitation. + +Then darkness came and the two partook of their frugal supper, laying +aside a generous portion for the boy. One by one the stars twinkled out. +Jacqueline, sitting by the window tried to count them to distract her +thoughts. Her mind reverted again and again to the scenes of the +morning, and the pictures of the suffering she had witnessed would not +fade from her consciousness. As she sat leaning her head against the +casement, she was suddenly startled by having two hands clapped over her +eyes, and a voice whispering in her ear: + +"Guess who it is!" + +"Gysbert!" she exclaimed. "How didst thou get in?" + +"Hush! I slipped in through the garden and climbed to my window up the +rose-trellis. I did not want Vrouw Voorhaas to see my disguise, and have +washed it all off and changed my clothes. Where is she?" + +"In her room," answered his sister, "and right anxious about thee, I can +warrant! But tell me all about it, Gysbert!" + +In hasty sentences the boy told her of his day's adventures. She +listened with breathless interest, and shuddered not a few times at the +narrowness of his escapes. Then she recounted to him her own +experiences, and told of Jan Van Buskirk's illness and danger. When she +had finished they sat together in the darkness for a long time without +speaking. Finally Jacqueline took her brother's hand in hers and said: + +"Gysbert, thine own bravery and the dark scenes I have witnessed to-day +have set me thinking, and to-night I have made my resolve. Since thou +hast given thyself to the dangerous task of assisting our beloved city, +I, too, can do no less than devote myself to the relief of some of its +suffering. To-morrow I shall seek Dr. de Witt and ask him to allow me to +accompany him in his visits to the sick and starving. I can aid in +nursing them, at least, since God has given me that power." + +Gysbert returned his sister's clasp, but continued in silence for some +moments. Truth to tell, he was struggling with a lump that had risen in +his throat, and was glad that the darkness hid the tears that had +gathered under his lashes. The experience of the last few days and weeks +had helped to give him a poise beyond his years, but his admiration for +his sister's quiet courage almost deprived him of words with which to +express it. Presently, however, he got up and put his arms around her +neck. + +"Jacqueline," he said, trying to master the huskiness in his voice, +"thou art very brave. I would rather go ten times into the heart of the +Spanish army, than once into a room with the plague. But thou art right. +It is thy destined work since thou hast chosen it, and our father, were +he here, would surely say, 'Well done!'" + + + + +THE COMING OF THE FIRST PIGEON + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +THE COMING OF THE FIRST PIGEON + + +The middle of August found the conditions in Leyden in no way improved +but rather the worse, being just so many weeks nearer starvation. The +poor had reached a point where they were indeed glad to get what +nourishment they might from the grass that grew in the streets, and even +the leaves from the trees that shaded the canals. Even the rich now +suffered from the scantiness of provisions, and were fain to draw in +their belts tightly to lessen the gnawing of constant hunger. + +Jacqueline and Gysbert had lost their fresh, rosy complexions and the +roundness of their youthful curves, and looked white and thin. Yet they +still fared better than some. Gysbert had made seven trips through the +Spanish lines, each time bearing away two carrier pigeons, and bringing +back when he could, a little supply of fresh food in his bag. The six +remaining birds they had decided to kill and eat, one a week, so that +they might have at least a taste of fresh untainted meat occasionally. +It had cost Jacqueline many a pang to thus sacrifice her pets, but she +could not see her dear ones suffer when it was in her power to give them +food. + +Gysbert's latest excursion outside the city walls had been successful, +and without any of the excitement that had attended his first trip. He +had chosen an entirely different quarter through which to pass, had met +with either a friendly reception or indifference from those he met, and +who freely purchased his herbs. He was taken without question for a +Glipper, as he had announced himself to be, and his presence soon became +a familiar figure in their midst. Then too, these expeditions were of +much shorter duration than his first, since instead of travelling all +the way to Delft, he had only to leave his message and the pigeons at +the farmhouse of Julius Van Schaick, a short distance from the city. He +had thus far managed also to escape the vigilance of Vrouw Voorhaas, who +now accepted without question the explanation of his executing errands +for the burgomaster. + +And what of Jacqueline? Plague now raged through all the poorer sections +of the city,--a dread disease brought on by improper nourishment or none +at all. Dr. de Witt and Jacqueline went their daily rounds, cheering, +comforting, and administering medicine and nourishment on every side. +Never was a presence more welcome in a sick room than that of the slim, +fair girl whom many in their delirium took to be an angel. Never was a +touch more deft, light and soothing than hers. + +By her tender care, Jan Van Buskirk had been nursed through the awful +scourge. He was still as weak as a baby, yet able to crawl about his +room listlessly, and inquire after the progress of the siege. His +admiration for, and devotion to the girl who had brought him safely +through his peril was beyond all expression, and he did little else when +she was near, than follow her with his eyes in an ecstasy of dumb +admiration. + +Vrouw Voorhaas utterly disapproved of Jacqueline's mission to the sick, +and spared no pains to make her disapproval known. She was constantly in +terror lest the girl herself should become infected, and scolded, +muttered and sighed whenever Jacqueline prepared to go out. But the +young girl's determination was too firm to be shaken by the older +woman's expostulations, and her interest and devotion to the work had +grown with her increasing responsibility. Dr. de Witt secretly marvelled +at her quiet firmness, skill, and unflinching courage. More and more did +he rack his brains to elucidate the mystery of her strange resemblance +to someone he had once known or seen, but without result. + +"Jacqueline, come up to Hengist Hill with me," said Gysbert one hot, +oppressive day about the twentieth of August. "Thou dost look white and +tired, and needest a little change of air, and besides I want to talk to +thee." + +"Ah, Gysbert, the day is too hot, and I am very tired! Let us rest here +in the house instead," replied the girl wearily. + +"Nay, the air is fresh and cool on the hill, and I have yet another +reason for the expedition. Come with me and thou wilt not regret it." +Yielding to his wish, Jacqueline accompanied him through the blazing, +sun-baked streets, striving for once not to see the misery that now lay +open to the daylight all about them. But Gysbert was right,--the Hill +was a decided improvement on the heated atmosphere of the town. The +grove was cool and pleasant and a refreshing breeze swept the summit. +They sat down in the shadow of the old fortress, and drew in great +breaths of the life-giving salt air. + +"Ah, it is good to be here!" exclaimed Gysbert. "Art thou not glad we +came, Jacqueline? And now let me ask a question. Answer truly! What hast +thou had to eat to-day?" + +"Oh, I had plenty!" answered the girl evasively. "The weather is so hot +that I cannot eat much." + +"Now, look thou here!" he replied. "For breakfast this morning we had +some watery gruel of our pigeon grain, and a thin slice of malt-cake +apiece. I saw thee eat the gruel, but the cake disappeared quickly in +some mysterious way. Jacqueline, didst thou save it to take to Jan?" + +"Well, yes, I suppose so," she faltered, cornered so cleverly that she +could not deny it. + +"Very well!" replied Gysbert with decision. "Then I will tell him the +next time I go there, that thou art starving thyself to feed him!" + +"No, no, Gysbert!" she cried in genuine alarm, "thou must not do that! +It would grieve him unto death, for I have told him that we have +plenty." + +"Ah! does that worry thee? Then if thou wilt do something to please +_me_, I promise not to tell him." + +"Yes, yes," said Jacqueline eagerly. "Anything, Gysbert, will I do if +thou wilt only keep that secret!" The boy did not answer, but running to +the wall of the fortress, lifted a good-sized stone and took from the +hollow underneath something which he brought to his sister. It was the +legs and body of a wild rabbit which had been prepared and cooked +evidently before an open fire. + +"Why, Gysbert!" exclaimed Jacqueline in astonishment. "Where didst thou +get this?" + +"I brought down the rabbit with a stone, here on the Hill early this +morning. Then I skinned him, dressed him, built a fire and roasted him +before it, and hid him away in a cool place for our treat this +afternoon. Thou must eat exactly half of it now, or I will tell Jan all +about thy deception." + +"But Vrouw Voorhaas!" said the girl, doubtfully. "We ought to take some +of it to her." + +"Nay," he answered. "I have watched her, and I know what she does, also. +She would thank us and put it aside, only to present it to us at another +meal, saying she could not eat it herself. And what is more, she never +would eat it, if we left it till it rotted away, so we might just as +well finish it now." + +Together they divided the doubtful dainty, and devoured it as though it +were the perfection of epicurean cookery; never did a meal taste sweeter +to these half-famished children, as they sat nibbling the last vestige +of meat from the bones, and feeling new life renewed within them. + +"Now," said Gysbert, when they had finished, "let me tell thee all about +my last trip through the besieging lines yesterday, and the messages I +bore. Mynheer Van der Werf sent very discouraged word to our good Prince +of Orange. The city, he said, was on the brink of starvation, the bread +was gone, and the malt-cakes would hold out but four days more. +Moreover, the people had fulfilled the promise made in the beginning of +the siege,--they had held out two months with food and one month +without, and human strength could do no more. + +"Mynheer Paul Buys, himself, was at the farmhouse and took the message +and the pigeons. He said the number of birds was now sufficient and I +need bring no more unless these should all return before the siege was +over. Then he sent by word of mouth, this reply to the burgomaster. 'The +Prince begs you to hold out a few days more, as his scheme for relief +has already begun to be put into execution. In a day or two a carrier +pigeon will come from him telling all about it.' + +"Jacqueline, I have guessed what that relief is going to be! A few +chance words dropped by Mynheer Buys and an exclamation from the +burgomaster has made me certain of it. Ah! it is a great thought,--great +indeed!--and like our wonderful Prince to dare it. Canst thou imagine +what it is?" + +"Nay," said the girl, wonderingly, "I cannot." + +"Look!" cried Gysbert, pointing in the direction of the ocean. "Dost +thou see that huge bulk across the Rhine about five miles from here? +That is the greatest outer barrier, the Land-scheiding. See how it keeps +back the ocean? Dost thou guess now what is happening?" + +"Not,--" hesitated the girl, "not that the dykes have been pierced!" + +"Just that! just that!" cried her brother. "Is it not wonderful? The +Prince is calling the ocean to his aid, since he cannot raise an army. +The Spaniards will drown like rats in a tank!" Jacqueline looked +doubtful, and not quite convinced. + +"But the land!" she said. "It will ruin all the farms and crops between +here and the ocean. And think of all the labor that has been spent on +the dykes to shut out the sea. When will they ever be able to rebuild +these barriers and shut out the waters?" + +"That will all come in good time," he replied. "First, it is most +important to get rid of this Spanish pest. Did I not hear Mynheer Van +der Werf himself mutter, 'Better a drowned land than a lost one!' It was +this exclamation that put me on the track." + +"Dost say that the Prince sends word that the scheme is already begun?" +asked Jacqueline. + +"Yes, and I think I know what he has done. Mynheer Buys was telling me +that he has but lately been to Kappelle and Schiedam. I will wager that +they have pierced the dykes all the way from here to Rotterdam, and even +as far as Kappelle. But the tide does not rise high at this time of the +year, and there is only an east wind, so that the water flows in slowly. +But see! see!" and he pointed far off in the sky, where a tiny speck +floated,--a mere golden moat in the sunshine. "I feel certain that is one +of our pigeons, Jacqueline. He flies like 'William of Orange.'" + +"Thou hast good eyes, Gysbert! I can see nothing but a faint speck. Let +us watch it, though." Together they waited in breathless suspense, while +the speck drew nearer and assumed more definite shape. + +"Look how the left wing droops a trifle. I _know_ that is 'William of +Orange'!" cried Gysbert. In an incredibly short time the bird had passed +the limits of the city wall, had drawn closer and closer, and at last +passed directly over their heads. + +So close to the summit of the Hill was its flight that they could +faintly hear the whir of its wings. When it was close above them, all +doubt as to its identity vanished, and besides, it was making straight +in the direction of Belfry Lane. Without waiting a moment they rushed +down the hill, their bodies refreshed by their meal of none too well +cooked rabbit meat, their courage restored by the hope of speedy +deliverance for the city. + +They found when they reached the house that the pigeon had been long +before them, Vrouw Voorhaas declaring that she had let it in some half +an hour previously. Up to the dove-cote they clambered, breathless and +excited, to behold "William of Orange" strutting about proudly, preening +his ruffled feathers, and cooing plaintively to be fed. Gysbert found a +message tied about the bird's leg. As fast as his feet would carry him, +he flew to the statehouse to deliver the precious bit of paper into the +hands of Adrian Van der Werf. But Jacqueline with a handful of corn +coaxed the weary messenger to alight on her arm. When he had eaten his +fill, she cuddled his head under her soft chin, and stroked his +brilliant plumage. + +"'William of Orange,'" she crooned, "thou art well-called. The city owes +much to thee, and to thy great namesake!" + + + + +A SWIM IN THE CANAL AND WHAT CAME OF IT + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +A SWIM IN THE CANAL AND WHAT CAME OF IT + + +The message brought by the pigeon proved to be word direct from the +Prince of Orange himself to the people of Leyden. He implored them to +take courage, and explained what means he had taken to effect their +relief. The plan was what Gysbert had suspected, but was of even wider +scope. Not only had all the dykes been ruptured and the water had begun +to rise upon the Land-scheiding, but also the Prince had been rapidly +collecting provisions in all the principal cities and towns near by and +was loading them on a fleet of vessels ready to sail across the land to +Leyden when the flood would permit. Thus the same waters that were to +rout the Spanish army were to bear life and food to the suffering city. +It was truly a daring and original plan, and Van der Werf's stern, +harassed countenance lighted with joy when he read the missive. + +"Ring the bells!" he commanded. "Call a meeting of the populace in the +great square! Order the military bands to play inspiriting music! Fire +the cannons and sing lustily! Surely this news must put heart into the +people!" + +Then such a bedlam of sounds as rose within the walls of Leyden! Not for +months had there been such a stir and life in the streets of the +half-dead city. The Spaniards outside, hearing the revelry and not in +the least understanding its cause, gazed at each other in amazement and +could only conjecture that a great army must be coming to the relief of +their foes. But they were not long to remain in doubt. That night a +sentinel rushed into the camp shouting: + +"The water! the water! It stands ten inches deep all round the outskirts +of the Land-scheiding! The dykes have all been pierced!" And swift +consternation seized them, as they began to grasp the meaning of the +shouts of joy within the walls of Leyden. + +But a week passed, and the waters did not continue to rise. The low +tides and the constant east winds were most unfavorable to the present +flooding of the land. Confidence was restored to the Spanish army, and +in the city the recent joy faded away as suddenly as it had come. Dull +distrust reigned unchecked, and the Glippers of whom there were not a +few in the town, lost no opportunity to scoff at 'This mad hopeless +scheme of the Prince's,' as they called it. + +"Go up to the Tower on Hengist Hill," they would cry scornfully to the +patriots, "and _see_ if the ocean is coming over the dry land to your +relief!" Then it came to be that Hengist Hill was haunted day and night +by anxious, hunger-stricken men and women, watching, hoping, trusting, +praying that some help might come to the famished city. + +Meantime the weather continued stifling and unbearable, and sickness, +death and the plague raged in Leyden. Jacqueline had her heart and hands +full with her newly assumed duties. But Gysbert, not having lately any +mission to execute beyond the walls, found time hanging rather heavily +on his hands. One muggy, oppressive morning he determined, for lack of +anything better to do, to seek some secluded spot and indulge in a +refreshing swim in one of the less-frequented canals. + +Reaching a shaded spot sufficiently isolated for his purpose, he +divested himself of his garments, plunged in, and remained for half an +hour swimming about idly in the cool water. At length concluding that +his bath had been long enough, he drew himself out and was about to +resume his clothes, when he happened to glance down the road that led by +the canal. About a hundred yards ahead, a black-cloaked figure whose +rear view struck him as somewhat familiar, was hurrying stealthily +along. + +"By St. Pancras!" muttered Gysbert. "If that isn't Dirk Willumhoog +again! There's mischief afoot!" Dropping his clothes he ran down the +bank, slipped without noise into the water, and swam hurriedly in the +direction of the retreating figure. + +"If I keep behind him close and to the bank," thought the boy, "I can +watch him very well, and he'll never suspect there is a soul around." It +did not take him long to catch up with the man he was pursuing. Most of +the time he kept out of sight, but he rose occasionally far enough to +poke his head over the edge of the canal and peep at his enemy. Once as +he did so, he dropped back quickly, finding that Dirk had seated himself +under a tree not five feet away. The man was busily engaged in examining +the writing on some scraps of paper, or he would certainly have seen the +wet, tousled head poked suddenly up over the bank. + +"Whew!" thought Gysbert as he ducked, "but that was a narrow escape! I +wonder how long he's going to sit mooning there! 'Tis right unpleasant +hanging here motionless, and in spite of the heat, the water grows +chilly." But Dirk had evidently no intention of moving at present, and +Gysbert was obliged to shiver and wait for some time, before the spirit +moved the man to be gone. At length the crunch of footsteps on the +gravel warned the boy that his enemy was once more on his way. It was a +relief to swim again and limber up his stiffened body, but to his +astonishment he found that they were drawing near to an unfrequented +portion of the city near the walls, and that the canal-street would soon +turn off in another direction. + +"Where _can_ he be going?" questioned Gysbert, as he poked up his head +at the turn, and saw Dirk advancing straight on, apparently right to the +wall itself. At that moment the man half turned his head and Gysbert +ducked under hastily. When he again raised himself, to his amazement +Dirk had disappeared as completely as though the earth had opened up +and swallowed him. + +"Has the rascal spread his cloak and _flown_ over the wall, or has he +changed his bodily substance and passed right through it, like the +prince in the fairy tale?" demanded Gysbert of the air about him. But as +it was plain this would bring no solution of the enigma, he cautiously +crept toward the wall, determined by some means to solve the mystery. + +From the turn of the canal to the wall was a distance of perhaps five +hundred yards, an unoccupied space of ground like a meadow, broken by +nothing save a little brook that connected with the canal. At the base +of the wall this brook spread out for a space, like a miniature lake. +Gysbert examined every inch of the ground attentively, without finding +anything that might serve to enlighten him. At the face of the wall he +stopped. Plainly no human being could scale at this point the high, +smooth surface that confronted him. Dropping on his knees he examined +the base. "Nothing here!" he muttered, and waded into the tiny lake that +spread out before him. + +Step by step he advanced, feeling carefully of the brick wall at every +interval, to detect any possible weak spot, when suddenly his feet +slipped into a deep hole, he was drawn under, and swept by the force of +some swift current, through a small hidden aperture in the wall. When he +came to the surface, he grasped at a projecting ledge, and tried to +ascertain what had happened. It did not take him long to guess. The +marshy land in and about Leyden was constantly intersected by the +formation of new brooks and streams. Not infrequently they would +undermine the very wall itself, and in times of peace, these defects +were always carefully watched and remedied. But in the terrible strain +under which the city had existed for the past months, this one had +evidently passed unnoticed, and in truth, no one would have suspected +its presence from the inside of the city, so well was it hidden by the +little spreading lake. + +"Now what ought I do next?" thought Gysbert when he had unravelled this +mystery. "Without doubt this is Dirk's secret doorway, and how he +discovered it the Evil One only knows! The question is, should I try to +explore it before he is well out of the way? I would hardly care to meet +him in this black hole! On the other hand, I don't believe he will +remain in here a moment longer than he has to, and I'm freezing hanging +here. I'll risk it!" + +So saying he plunged into the grim cave, and commenced his journey +through the base of the great wall of Leyden. To his disgust he found +that the stream did not penetrate straight from side to side, but turned +and pierced through the _length_ of the wall for many yards. The way was +difficult enough, since he had to fight every inch of his progress +against the swift current, and once the water deepened to such an +extent that he was forced to swim. Moreover, unwarmed by any sun it was +icy cold, and his limbs grew numb and his teeth chattered. + +For a moment panic seized him, and he felt sure he would never get out +alive, but would drown in this horrible place. Then his natural courage +again asserted itself, and he pressed steadily forward. At length the +course of the hidden stream changed again, a faint glimmer of daylight +appeared, and in another moment he stood outside the walls of Leyden, +protected from the gaze of the Spanish camp only by a few bushes. No +Dirk Willumhoog was to be seen, but there remained not a shadow of doubt +that this was his mode of ingress to and exit from the city of Leyden. + +Gysbert lay down in the sunlight, and warmed his numbed body in its +welcome heat. In half an hour's time he had started on his return trip, +and found it twice as easy as travelling in the opposite direction. Far +from fighting the current he was helped along by it, and in a short time +stood safe within the town again. Arrived there, another swim awaited +him, for as he could not run through the town clad in nothing at all, he +was obliged to take to the canal till he reached the spot where he had +left his clothes. Once only he stopped to climb out and investigate the +place where Dirk had sat examining his papers. As good luck would have +it, he discovered hidden away in the grass where it had evidently fallen +unnoticed, one of the scraps. On it were written a few words, evidently +only a part of the whole, whatever that might have been. Gysbert read +them and his eyes grew big with wonder, and then snapped angrily. "Ah, +this is shameful!" he cried. "We'll see about this, Dirk Willumhoog, +thou traitor as well as coward!" + +With the paper in his mouth for safety, he plunged into the canal, swam +to the point where he had left his clothes, flung them on hastily, and +hurried home as fast as he could run. + +"I shall have something to tell Jacqueline about _this_ day's work!" he +remarked to himself with great satisfaction. + + + + +"TRANQUIL AMID RAGING BILLOWS" + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +"TRANQUIL AMID RAGING BILLOWS" + + +Jacqueline was not at home when Gysbert arrived hot and breathless. She +had been out all morning with Dr. de Witt on their usual errand of +mercy, and Vrouw Voorhaas declared with much sullen complaining, that +she could not be expected for an hour yet. So the boy was compelled to +fret and wander about idly till she appeared. When she came she looked +desperately tired, but she ascended cheerfully to the dove-cote with her +brother, which place he chose as the safest and most secluded in which +to impart his secret. + +"I had the greatest adventure this morning, Jacqueline!" he began. And +while she listened eagerly, petting the smooth head of her finest pigeon +and coaxing him with a little grain, Gysbert told of his swim in the +canal and its results. When he came to the part concerning the discovery +of the paper, he pulled it from his pocket and showed it to her. It was, +as has been said, only a portion of the whole writing, and commenced at +the top with the completion of some sentence begun on another piece:-- + + "--evidently in Belfry Lane. + "The Prince is dangerously ill + "in Rotterdam. We have conveyed + "to him the report that Leyden + "has surrendered. While this is + "not yet true, the news will so + "discourage him that it is + "doubtful if he will recover--" + +"Canst thou imagine anything more despicable than that?" exclaimed +Gysbert. "Our good Prince sickened unto death by such reports! Something +must be done about it." + +"Shall thou go at once and tell Mynheer Van der Werf?" inquired his +sister. + +"Well, I suppose I should, but then he would only send me off at once +to deny the rumor, so I may just as well not lose the time." + +"But, Gysbert, what can that mean at the first?" said Jacqueline, +"'--evidently in Belfry Lane.' Can it possibly refer to us?" + +"I do not doubt that it is just what it does refer to," he replied. "He +has, most likely, found out where we live. He means mischief, I tell +thee, not only to the country but to us also, though what we have done +to merit his attention, I cannot imagine." + +"Thou didst anger him, Gysbert, that day at the gate, and he has not +forgotten. But there is something else beside. What can it be? Ah, I +fear harm is coming to us!" + +"Well, I for one am not going to think about that, when this other +matter is so much more important," replied Gysbert, characteristically. +"This very night I shall disguise myself as usual, and make one more +trip through the camp. As I must travel all the way to Rotterdam, I may +not return for two or three days, so thou must explain it as best thou +canst to Vrouw Voorhaas. I do not care much now what thou dost tell her, +for she can do little to prevent my getting away if I choose." + +"Ah, brother, I dread to have thee go! These be evil times, and I have a +foreboding that all will not go well whilst thou art away. And yet I +would not keep thee, for 'tis more than wicked that our Prince should be +so ill and so cruelly deceived. But thou must take a pigeon with thee, +and send him to me with a message, if thou art detained over long, else +I shall break my heart with anxiety, watching for thee." + +At dawn next morning Gysbert set forth in his usual disguise carrying +the pigeon "William of Orange" at the bottom of his bag of herbs. +Passing out through the gate of the Tower of Burgundy, he chose a route +through a part of the army near that of his first attempt, since that +way lay nearer to the road for Delft and Rotterdam. The usual sleeping +camp lay all about him. The usual challenge from drowsy sentinels +arrested his progress, but thanks to the magic countersign, "_Don +Carlos_," which he had learned from the gatekeeper, he was no where +detained. He accomplished the passage of the camp with absolutely no +molestation or exciting incident, thinking that the feat was becoming +very, very easy. + +On the road to Delft he looked along the canal to see if he might spy +Joris Fruytiers and his bulky craft. But the canal was deserted, and he +was obliged to make up his mind that his own two feet must carry him +most of the way. As he trudged along, he could not but notice the +exceeding muddiness of the road, and the farther he proceeded, the worse +did it become, till at length he found himself plowing through a +veritable bog. + +"This is singular!" was his first thought, and then, "Why, no it isn't +either! This is the result of the broken down dykes. How strange that I +did not think of it at first!" And the worse it became, the more it +pleased him, since it might mean ultimate relief and victory to the +city. Finally he found himself wading through several inches of water, +and he took infinite, boyish delight in slopping through its muddy +depths, splashing the drops from side to side as he walked. In due time +he reached Delft, and stopped to get a hearty meal at a baker's shop, +with a few coins he had in his pocket. Thus refreshed and rested, he +continued on his way. + +Darkness at length overtook him, and abandoning all hope of reaching +Rotterdam that night, he crept into a farmer's barn, and in the hayloft +slept the sleep of healthy weariness, till the first streaks of dawn +tinted the horizon. Trudging on his road again, without either a +breakfast or the prospect of one, it was noon before he reached the goal +of his desire, Rotterdam, where lay ill and despairing the idol of his +boyish dreams, William, Prince of Orange-Nassau. + +Gysbert had never been in Rotterdam, consequently he was compelled to +inquire his way frequently. Ascertaining that the Prince was then +stopping at a house on the Hoog Straat, and being directed to that +thoroughfare, he was not long in arriving at his destination. It was a +much smaller establishment than the palace of the _Prinsenhof_ in Delft, +and to the boy's astonishment there seemed to be absolutely no one about +the premises. The large front entrance was not locked, and having +knocked in vain for many minutes, he pushed open the door and entered. + +Nothing greeted him but deserted halls and rooms. He lingered about in +the corridors for a while, hoping that someone might come in. Then his +attention became attracted by occasional groans and muttered +ejaculations from the room above. Fearing that someone, possibly the +Prince himself, might be in trouble, he decided to go up and see if he +might render any assistance. He crept up softly, and guided by the +sounds, reached an open doorway and peeped in. + +Tossing and moaning on a bed, lay the gaunt form of a man. One glance +sufficed to convince Gysbert that it was William of Orange, and that he +was desperately ill. Why the great head of his country should be thus +deserted by every one of his attendants in his trouble, was more than +Gysbert could fathom. A natural hesitancy, however, kept him from +intruding on the privacy of the sick man's bedroom, and he stood outside +for a time, watching and wondering if there were anything he might do. + +The Prince lay in a huge, four-post bed, raised on a sort of dias or +platform. At his feet on the coverlet sat a little brown and white +spaniel, who whined plaintively as if in answer to his master's groans. +When Gysbert appeared in the doorway, the animal sprang up barking +furiously, and tried to wake his master. But the Prince was at the time +in a sort of stupor, and paid no heed to the animal's cries. The dog +soon perceived that the intruder attempted no harm, and settled himself +in his former post. + +Gysbert knew well why the Prince was attended by this faithful beast. +Two years before at the siege of Mons, he had been surprised one night +while asleep in his tent, by a party of Spaniards who had planned to +capture him. A little spaniel who slept in his quarters sprang up +barking and scratching his hands. The Prince thus wakened found time to +escape, but had it not been for the faithful little animal, the +Netherlands would have lost their strongest protector. For the rest of +his life, the Prince was never without a spaniel of the same breed who +slept nightly in his room. + +Gysbert had ample time to note what manner of man was this his idol. His +forehead was high, noble, and marked with many lines of care. The +expression of his face, even racked with burning fever, was of a tender, +strong and fatherly benignity. Near by lay his armor and sword, on the +hilt of which was carved in Latin his chosen motto:-- + + "Sævis tranquillus in undis!" + + ("Tranquil amid raging billows!") + +No language could have better expressed the quiet firmness and unshaken +courage of this wonderful nobleman, even in the most harrowing and +adverse circumstances. + +The sick man was gradually emerging from unconsciousness. His eyes +opened widely but unseeingly, and he muttered in a half-delirium: + +"Ah, Leyden, Leyden! Would God that I might help thee! It is not true, +it cannot be true that thou hast yielded to the enemy! Ah, my country! +What fate is now before thee, and I so helpless to render thee +aid!--Tranquil,--tranquil!--I must be tranquil amid the billows!--Oh, +thou my God, help me!--" Again unconsciousness overcame him, and he sank +into another stupor. Gysbert's heart ached with pity and the wild desire +to tell him that his fears were groundless. "When he next wakes," +thought the boy, "I will go in and tell him how false is this report he +has heard." Presently the Prince exhibited signs of returning +consciousness, but he seemed weaker, and could only murmur: + +"Leyden!--Leyden!--Tranquil--" Then Gysbert with trembling knees and +quaking heart, entered the door and walked up to the bed. At first the +Prince did not see him, but soon the renewed barking of his spaniel +attracted his attention to the curious little figure standing by the +bedside. + +"Who art thou?" he queried feebly. + +"Mynheer Prince," faltered Gysbert, "I am only a boy from Leyden, but I +have come to tell you that it is not true,--what you have been told +concerning the city's surrender. Leyden still holds out and will so +continue till its last defender is slain!" The dullness of fever in the +sick man's eyes gave place to an actual sparkle. + +"Leyden still safe!" he exclaimed. "Then have I surely been deceived. +Oh, God be praised that He has answered my prayer! But tell me, brave +little fellow, how camest thou to know what only one of my confidential +servants has whispered to me, and how camest thou all this way to +undeceive me? Methinks too, thou hast assumed something of a disguise." +Then Gysbert told him the circumstances of the finding of the paper, and +much about Dirk Willumhoog. From this the Prince beguiled him into +telling about how he had made expeditions with messages through the +Spanish army, and how his sister was helping care for the sick and +plague-stricken in Leyden, and many details about the condition of the +city. When he had finished he was emboldened to ask the Prince how it +was that the house had no attendants, especially when he lay so ill. + +"Truly it must seem strange!" answered William the Silent. "I have the +kindest of servants, and the best medical attendance, but it so happens +that I have sent all off this morning on errands of the greatest +importance. When this traitor, this Joachim Hansleer, returns I will +discharge him straightway for a lying villain who thinks to kill me by +his deception. He has been whispering to me this past week, that Leyden +had surrendered but that the rest were afraid to tell me!" + +"If the great Prince would forgive me for saying it," replied Gysbert, +"I would suggest that he be locked up in close confinement instead, else +he will join his companion, Dirk Willumhoog, and plot more wickedness!" + +"True, true!" exclaimed the Prince, laughing for the first time in +weeks. "Thou art a clever lad to have thought of it. And now tell me thy +name. I shall not forget thee." When Gysbert had told him, he held out +his hand: + +"Take these ten florins and buy thyself all the food thou canst carry +back with thee. Be sure to tell Van der Werf to guard that opening in +the wall well, and arrest Dirk Willumhoog if he enters again. Tell him +also that help is very near, and pray God for a west wind. My grateful +thanks go with thee! Already I feel the fever abated, and new life +surging through me. Farewell!" Gysbert knelt to kiss the hand of his +hero, and then sped away light of heel and glad of heart at the +successful outcome of his errand. + +And when, a few moments later, the Receiver-General of Holland, +Cornelius Van Meirop, ascended to the bed-chamber to visit his Prince, +he marvelled at the great change for the better that had suddenly taken +place in the condition of William the Silent. + + + + +VROUW VOORHAAS'S SECRET + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +VROUW VOORHAAS'S SECRET + + +No sooner had Gysbert been dispatched on his journey to Rotterdam, than +Jacqueline turned her attention to preparing breakfast. Much to her +astonishment, Vrouw Voorhaas was not yet up and about, but she concluded +that the woman was wearied out with hard work and anxiety, and was +taking an extra, involuntary nap. + +The most careful search in the larder revealed nothing that under +ordinary circumstances would be considered in the least palatable. +Jacqueline remembered two pigeons' eggs that had been laid the day +before, and determined that they must go toward furnishing the +breakfast-table. These, with some very thin gruel of pigeon grain +completed the arrangements. Wondering that Vrouw Voorhaas had not yet +appeared, and fearing lest something were the matter, she decided to go +up and investigate the cause of this unusual state of affairs. At the +door of the bedroom she paused, horror-struck at the sound of a curious +muttering and groaning now grown terribly familiar to her ears. Then she +opened the door. Her worst suspicions were verified--Vrouw Voorhaas had +the plague! + +The woman lay tossing and moaning, utterly unconscious of anything about +her, muttering strange, incoherent sentences in her delirium. Amazed and +shocked at what she heard, Jacqueline stood rooted to the spot +listening. + +"I will not eat it!--I must not eat it!--" cried the unconscious woman, +"--It is for the children!--Oh, God, how I hunger!--" Then in a lower +tone:--"Dirk Willumhoog thou shalt _not_ harm them as thou didst +endeavor to harm--" Here she appeared to fall into a restless sleep, and +for a few moments her tossing form lay quiet; Jacqueline buried her +face in her hands and wept with sheer bitterness and despair. + +"Oh, Vrouw Voorhaas, Vrouw Voorhaas!--now I know what doth ail thee!" +she sobbed aloud. "Thou hast starved thyself for our sakes, thou didst +deceive us into thinking thou wast satisfied with a little, and now thou +art reaping the results of thy sacrifice!" The realization that this +faithful servant had brought herself to this pass by her own +self-denial, occupied Jacqueline's mind to the exclusion of every other +thought. "How wicked and ungrateful I have been," she blamed herself, +"going out to nurse other people, when starvation and illness lay +waiting right at my own door, and I never guessed! Oh, if Gysbert were +only here!" + +Then the necessity for doing something, and that speedily, forced itself +upon her. Deciding that she could leave the sick woman more easily now +than later, she ran out at once to find Dr. de Witt. He accompanied her +without an instant's delay. When he reached the sick room he gave one +keen glance at his patient, and then set about his work of relief, +Jacqueline assisting him with the intelligence and skill perfected by +much practice. + +"Now," said he finally, "thou must make up thy mind, Juffrouw +Jacqueline, to one thing. For the present thou must give up all thought +of going on thy daily round with me, and devote thyself to the care of +this thy companion. Her case is more critical than usual, having been +brought on, I judge, by systematic starvation." + +"But Jan!--" faltered the girl. "He is still very weak and needs my +care." + +"Let him come here and stay," ordered the doctor. "I will myself fetch +him this afternoon, and thus thou wilt have both thy patients under +thine eye. He also may be able to help thee a little. Where is thy +brother?" + +"He has gone out of the city on an errand of importance. I do not +expect him back for two or three days," she answered. + +"Well, keep him out of the sick room when he returns. 'Tis best for him +not to be exposed to the disease. Now I must be going on my usual way. I +shall miss thy helpful presence much, Juffrouw Jacqueline. Ah, but times +are sore in this wretched city!" As he turned to go, Vrouw Voorhaas +roused herself and began muttering anew: + +"Louvain?--Louvain?--Yes, from there we came, but what is that to +thee!--" The doctor started, and walked back toward his patient. + +"She hath been raving much without sense!" remarked Jacqueline hastily. +"I fear her mind is all unhinged!" But Dr. de Witt continued to +scrutinize sharply the features of the sick woman. + +"Didst thou really come from Louvain?" he asked Jacqueline at length. + +"Yes," faltered the girl, "many years ago." + +"What is the name of this woman?" the doctor continued to question. As +Jacqueline told him, a great light appeared to break in on his mind. + +"Ah, ah!" he exclaimed. "I see it all! It is as clear as day to me now! +That resemblance in thee I was sure I should place sometime. Is not thy +name Cornellisen, and was not thy father the famous doctor-professor in +the University?" + +"Aye!" answered Jacqueline in fear and trembling, "Thou hast guessed +aright, but tell no one, I pray thee!" + +"I knew it! I felt it!" continued the doctor. "And yet I could not make +the memory a connected one, till now. I was a student about to graduate +from the University, and thy father was my great admiration and example. +I saw Vrouw Voorhaas once on visiting his home, but never his children, +hence I did not recognize thee. It was sad--sad, thy father's end, and I +grieved over it many a long day! It was his great devotion to the young +Count de Buren who was under his special care, that brought him to his +death. Dost thou know all about it?" + +"I know only what Vrouw Voorhaas has told me, of his being captured and +killed by the cruel Duke of Alva," answered Jacqueline. + +"Then I can tell thee more, and I will some time. Right glad I am that +it has fallen to my lot to help and befriend thee, for so I can render +service to thy dead father who was always more than kind to me." + +All the morning Jacqueline sat by the sick woman's bedside, moistening +her parched lips with water, cooling her feverish brow with refreshing +compresses, and tending to every unspoken want with a devotion born of +love and remorse. At no time did Vrouw Voorhaas become sane and +conscious of her surroundings, and her feverish delirium increased as +the day wore on. It wrung the girl's tender heart to hear her cry out +against the pangs of hunger and imagine that she must continually deny +herself for the children's sake. + +Little by little the history of all the past weeks of suffering was +revealed to the watching girl, and she realized that what she had +supposed to be a sufficient supply of provisions for all, had only been +rendered enough for herself and Gysbert by the cruel deprivation of this +faithful woman. But other chance ejaculations were more mystifying, and +served to arouse in Jacqueline an intense, terrified curiosity as to +what might be this long kept secret that so troubled the soul of Vrouw +Voorhaas. Once she was electrified by hearing the sick woman hiss: + +"How didst thou get in the city, Dirk Willumhoog?--No, go away! Thou +canst draw nothing from me!--I will not tell thee, I say!--Thou dare not +touch one hair of their heads!--Nay, I _will_ not tell thee!--Keep thy +gold!--What do I care for all the wealth of the Indies?--Their father--" + +Jacqueline puzzled over it in trembling astonishment. Was it possible +that Dirk Willumhoog had been here in Belfry Lane, and interviewed Vrouw +Voorhaas while they were away somewhere? But why had she not told them +of it? What could be this dreadful mystery that the two seemed to share +in common? What harm did he plan to do them? + +That afternoon Jan arrived, accompanied by Dr. de Witt. Jacqueline now +had her hands full with the two patients, but she was grateful for the +companionship of the old man. It had seemed unutterably depressing to be +shut up alone with this sick woman who was never for a moment in her +right mind, and who raved incessantly about disturbing mysteries. Two +more days passed and the conditions in Belfry Lane continued about the +same. Vrouw Voorhaas did not improve, except that she had less delirium, +and Jacqueline was worried almost out of her senses because Gysbert had +not yet appeared. Nothing could convince her that all was well with +him, and she kept constant watch for the carrier pigeon to bring some +news. + +Running up to the cote on the fourth day, she found to her joy, "William +of Orange" strutting about among the two or three other birds. A note +was fastened about his leg, and Jacqueline unfastened it with trembling, +eager fingers. To her surprise it was addressed not to her but to Vrouw +Voorhaas, and was in a strange handwriting. With a great throb of +terror, she opened it and read these words:-- + + "VROUW VOORHAAS," + + "Fortune has at last turned in my favor. The boy is now in my + possession, and before long the girl will be also. I snap my + fingers in thy face!" + + "DIRK WILLUMHOOG." + + + + +THE BEGGARS OF THE SEA + + + + +CHAPTER X + +THE BEGGARS OF THE SEA + + +"Vrouw Voorhaas is decidedly better to-day, Juffrouw Jacqueline," +remarked Dr. Pieter de Witt as he left the bedside of the sick woman. +"She is really coming out of this illness very well, thanks to thy +careful nursing and our good Jan's assistance." + +"Is it so indeed!" answered Jacqueline listlessly, striving to force +herself to some show of enthusiasm. "Then am I right glad, for I have +done my best, and thou hast been devotion itself, Dr. de Witt. Oh! if +only--" She turned away her head to hide the tears that would come, and +a sob stopped her further utterance. The good doctor understood, and +busied himself over his patient till the girl had regained her +self-control. + +"If I mistake not," he ventured at length, "she will probably be quite +herself to-day, having regained consciousness several times lately. It +would be well, should she recover sufficiently to ask after thy brother, +not to allow her to think he has come to harm. A shock like that would +thrust her lower than she has yet been." + +"But what shall we say?" faltered Jacqueline. "I must not tell an +untruth." + +"Wouldst thou tell her the broad, brutal facts, and thereby cause her +death?" demanded the doctor sternly. "Nay, it is only necessary to say +that since she had been suffering with the plague, it was deemed wisest +to send him away for a time, lest he contract the disease. She will be +satisfied with that for the present." Jacqueline acquiesced in this, and +the two went downstairs to acquaint Jan Van Buskirk with the news of the +improvement in Vrouw Voorhaas's condition. Jan was sitting in the sunny, +immaculate kitchen reading his big Bible, one of the few possessions he +had brought with him to Belfry Lane. He was as pleased as the others +with the good report. + +"Listen to this!" he remarked. "I've just been reading it in the Good +Book. I think the Lord must have had the siege of Leyden in mind when He +caused this to be written--'Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare +of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence!'--Isn't that just what +happened to Vrouw Voorhaas and myself! I call it nothing less than +miraculous! And here's some more!--'Thou shalt not be afraid for the +terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day'--Doesn't that +just describe the Spanish army out beyond!--'nor for the pestilence that +walketh in darkness'--that's the plague--'nor for the destruction that +wasteth at noonday.'--That's starvation! + +"'A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, +but it shall not come nigh thee!' Haven't more than five thousand died +of starvation and the pestilence here already, and we are yet spared!" + +"True, true!" murmured Jacqueline, "but Gysbert!--" Now there was an +unspoken but well-understood conspiracy between the doctor and Jan to +keep up the spirits of the despairing girl on this painful subject. + +"Thou didst not let me read far enough, Jacqueline," the old man +hastened to add. "Only listen! Here is another Psalm that I was reading +this morning. It should be a great help to thee:--'The Lord is my light +and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my +life; of whom shall I be afraid? + +"'When the wicked, even mine enemies came upon me to eat up my flesh, +they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me my heart +shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, in this will I be +confident. + +"'Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path because of mine +enemies. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage and He shall strengthen +thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord!'" + +"What thou hast read does truly give me new courage," said Jacqueline. +"Thanks, Jan! Thou art indeed a help and a comfort. And now I will go up +to the dove-cote to see if perchance a pigeon has come with some message +for the burgomaster." + +A week had passed since the disappearance of the boy, and not a sign or +a token had come to the anxious watchers in Belfry Lane, to indicate his +whereabouts or his fate. After the first shock caused by Dirk's message, +Jacqueline had gone straight to Adrian Van der Werf and explained the +situation, imploring him to assist in trying to find and rescue her +brother. The burgomaster was deeply distressed at the misfortune that +had come to his little "jumper," and was much mystified as to the cause +of this continued persecution of two innocent children by an unknown +man. + +But as to offering any assistance, that he told Jacqueline was quite +beyond his power. Already concern for the famishing, besieged city, and +despair at its vanishing hopes of relief had driven him almost beyond +his senses with anxiety. It was now not only impossible, but would be +also quite fruitless for him to send men outside the walls to search for +Gysbert, as they would probably be killed on sight by the ferocious +Spaniards. He advised Jacqueline to wait quietly for further +developments, and gave it as his opinion that Gysbert had not been +killed, but was probably being kept alive for some yet unknown purpose. +But little encouraged by this interview, Jacqueline crept home to endure +silent but unending misery. For she was too proud to be seen by the +others constantly grieving, and moreover, she blamed herself bitterly +for ever allowing her brother to undertake such a hazardous enterprise. + +Ascending to the pigeon-loft that morning, she found a returned +messenger strutting about among the remaining birds. He bore a note +wrapped round his leg, addressed to Adrian Van der Werf. Jacqueline made +all haste to carry this to the statehouse, for it now devolved upon her +to be the bearer of these messages when they arrived. The burgomaster +welcomed her kindly: + +"Good-morning, Juffrouw Jacqueline! Hast heard any news from thy brother +yet?" + +"Nay," answered the girl shaking her head sadly. "But I have here +another message for you, Mynheer Van der Werf. It has but just come by a +pigeon." + +"Thanks, thanks!" he said, opening it eagerly. Then with sparkling eyes +he cried: + +"Ah, this is excellent, excellent news! Admiral Boisot with his fleet +manned by the Beggars of the Sea, has arrived out of Zeeland, and is +already entering the Rhine over the broken dykes. He cannot be ten miles +from the city! Praise God, praise God!" He turned to Jacqueline for an +answering enthusiasm, but found to his surprise that the poor girl had +fainted away in the chair where she sat, evidently from sheer hunger and +fatigue. Van der Werf hastened to a closet, took out a bottle, and +forced some cordial between her set teeth. As he chafed her cold hands +he murmured: + +"Poor, poor little girl! Thou hast borne thy share of this cursed +trouble nobly and well--that I know from De Witt himself. Thou shalt +have every comfort and help that I can render thee!" Jacqueline soon +returned to consciousness, but the burgomaster would not yet allow her +to leave, and insisted that she drink another glass of the revivifying +cordial. When she was quite herself again, he sent her back to Belfry +Lane with a large basket of food from his own larder, which he had +despatched a soldier to procure. + +"It is not much," he apologized, "for we are hard put to it ourselves +for sustenance now. But it is at least something I can do for so +faithful a helper. See that thou dost not stint _thyself_ in thy +distribution of it!" he ended laughing. + +When she had gone, Van der Werf hastened to despatch a town-crier to +spread the good news, and himself made all speed to Hengist Hill to +observe the position of the fleet. The day was clear, and the flotilla +lay in plain sight, not far beyond the Land-scheiding--a motley array of +more than two hundred vessels of every conceivable shape and size. The +largest, an enormous craft with shot-proof bulwarks and moved by huge +paddle wheels turned by a crank, was called the "_Ark of Delft_." It +served as the flag-ship for Admiral Boisot, and was renowned for being +the leader in every battle. Each ship carried from eight to ten cannon, +and the whole fleet was manned by twenty-five hundred wild and +battle-scarred veterans, the bravest and fiercest in the land. + +They called themselves the "Beggars of the Sea," a name they had assumed +since a time at first, when the scornful Spanish soldiery had mocked +them. "Who is afraid of you! You are nothing but a pack of _beggars_!" +scoffed the Spaniards. "Very well!" replied the hot-headed Zeelanders. +"Ye shall see how _beggars_ can _fight_!" And truly they made a +ferocious crew, as the Spanish found later, to their surprise and +dismay. They neither gave nor took quarter, for theirs was a battle to +the death, and woe to the luckless Spaniard who fell within their power! +"Long live the Beggars!" was their rallying cry, and "Long live the +Beggars!" now echoed in shout upon shout from Hengist Hill, by the +crowds that had followed the burgomaster to the summit. Hope was once +more restored, and Leyden gathered herself together and drew a long +breath of renewed courage. + +But before the consummation of this hope there was much to be done, and +many battles to fight. The Land-scheiding lay before the fleet guarded +by Spanish troops, and all about, the villages and fortresses were in +the hands of the same enemy. On the night of September tenth, the city +was startled by loud cannonading to the southwest, and the sky grew +lurid with the flames of burning farmhouses and villages. Boisot had +made the first bold move. Finding that the great dyke was but +insufficiently guarded, he attacked it in the dead of night, at the same +time setting fire to and ruining several adjacent strongholds of the +enemy. + +When morning dawned he was in possession of the coveted Land-scheiding, +without the loss of a single man. The discomfited Spaniards had but too +late discovered their mistake in underestimating the courage of their +assailants. A dove flew in on the morning of the eleventh, sent by +Boisot, telling of the victory. Jacqueline carried it to the statehouse +with the first feeling of enthusiasm she had experienced in many a long +day. Perhaps the city really would be relieved, and perhaps Gysbert +might be restored to them after all! + + + + +JACQUELINE RESPONDS TO AN URGENT SUMMONS + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +JACQUELINE RESPONDS TO AN URGENT SUMMONS + + +Since the great dyke had been pierced an entire week had elapsed. +Stout-hearted Admiral Boisot had expected to find the Land-scheiding the +only barrier between his fleet and the city. But no sooner had this been +passed than he discovered to his surprise and disgust that several more +dykes and fortresses stood between himself and the goal. Three-quarters +of a mile farther on was the "Green-way," another long dyke rising a +foot above the water. But the Spaniards had not yet sufficiently learned +their lesson, and this barrier also was very scantily guarded. + +With his usual promptness and audacity, Boisot carried this situation, +set his men to levelling the dyke, and the fleet passed through +triumphantly. But again he was doomed to disappointment. Beyond the +"Green-way" stretched a large shallow lake called "Freshwater Mere" +through which there was but one passage, a deep canal. As fortune would +have it, however, this canal led directly under a bridge that was in +possession of the Spaniards. This time the enemy had looked well to its +defences, and a few skirmishes soon convinced Boisot that the foe had +the advantage of him. So he prudently drew off and waited. + +Only two and a half miles from the beleaguered city lay the rescuing +fleet stranded in shallow water, unable to progress an inch. The east +wind blew steadily, the waters decreased and the Spaniards laughed in +their faces. Within the city reigned a despair all the blacker for the +brief illumination of hope that had now died. But God had not yet +forsaken the cause of the right. + +On the eighteenth of September the wind changed, a great gale raged for +three days out of the northwest, the waters rose rapidly, and the +vessels were again afloat. Fortunately too, from some fugitives from one +of the villages, who had come aboard, Boisot learned of another course +he could pursue, a little roundabout indeed, but having the advantage of +avoiding the terrible, guarded bridge. He lost no time in availing +himself of this, and the amazed Spaniards at the village of Nord Aa +suddenly beheld this fear-inspiring flotilla bearing down upon them from +an entirely unexpected direction. They fled precipitately, not even +stopping to gather up their possessions, to the strongly fortified +village of Zoeterwoude, only a mile and three-quarters from the city. + +A little beyond Nord Aa, Boisot encountered the last dyke, the +"Kirk-way." This he promptly levelled, but the wind had again changed, +the water fell to the depth of only nine inches, and the fleet lay once +more helpless in its shallows. Day by day passed and nothing occurred to +alter the monotony of this inaction. But one circumstance took place +which filled the Sea Beggars with renewed courage and inspired universal +joy. The Prince of Orange, now recovered sufficiently from his long +illness to be about, came on board the "_Ark of Delft_," to grasp the +hand of the doughty Admiral. From thence he made a triumphal tour of all +the vessels, instilling into every heart fresh courage, cheering, +advising and directing. He looked pale and worn after his illness, and +his devoted veterans, even these fierce Sea Beggars, were ready to fall +at his feet and obey his lightest command. After a long and serious +conference with Boisot, he returned to Delft. + +Meanwhile, what of Jacqueline, upon the messages borne by whose carrier +pigeons the whole city hung with breathless expectation? Since the +passing of the Land-scheiding she had continued to carry constant +messages to Van der Werf, for every time the Admiral gained a new +advantage, he hastened to despatch another pigeon, for the +encouragement of Leyden. Everyone who was not too weak with hunger to +walk, haunted the summit of Hengist Hill to watch the advance of the +rescuers. It filled their hearts with new courage to note how small a +space the besieging army was now forced to occupy,--only a ring little +more than a mile wide all about the city, with the threatening ocean and +a crew of desperate Sea Beggars on one side, and the hunger-maddened +populace of Leyden in the center. The situation was certainly becoming a +trifle embarrassing for the Spanish army! + +Jacqueline occasionally went to Hengist Hill with Jan, who was now able +to get about quite briskly. Dr. de Witt insisted that she must get out +and take fresh air and exercise, and he was always willing to sit with +Vrouw Voorhaas while she was away. They never allowed the girl to go far +alone, for all yet feared the threat of Dirk Willumhoog to entrap her as +well as her brother, and took care that she was well guarded. Vrouw +Voorhaas had also made decided improvement but was yet unable to leave +her bed. The excessive weakness caused by her long self-denial and its +consequences, seemed almost impossible to overcome. Her constant +inquiries about Gysbert too, were becoming more and more difficult to +answer, though they still kept up the fiction that he was quartered with +Dr. de Witt during her illness. Sometimes it seemed as though she +watched them all with hidden suspicion, and once she even murmured: + +"I fear he is not safe! Something tells me he is in danger!" On the +night when the fleet reached Nord Aa a pigeon flew in bearing the +tidings. Jacqueline found him, for she was constantly on the watch for +messages, but since it was nearly nine o'clock, it was deemed best that +Jan should carry the word to the burgomaster. The doctor had just left +not five minutes before, and Jan hobbled off to execute his mission +leaving Jacqueline with Vrouw Voorhaas. The girl sat reading by the sick +bed, casting an occasional glance at her patient who was sound asleep. +Presently, thinking she heard a knock at the door, she closed her book +and hurried downstairs. + +"'Tis early for Jan to be back," she thought. "He has but just left, and +I know he will want to stay and chat awhile with Mynheer Van der Werf. +Who can it be!" Some indefinable sensation of misgiving caused her to be +a little long about opening the door. She was reassured, however, by +seeing only a small boy who thrust a note into her hand, and turning ran +down the street. She called to him to come back as there might be an +answer required, but the child apparently did not hear her, and was soon +out of sight. Wonderingly she brought the scrap of paper to the +candle-light and read its contents. + + "Juffrouw Jacqueline, (it ran):-- + + "If thou wouldst hear news of thy brother, and dost also desire a + chance to rescue him, I beg thee to come to the end of the + Wirtemstrasse at once. Do not waste a moment, for the opportunity + is but brief. The messenger there can only wait fifteen minutes. + Thy brother sends his love. + + "One who is thy friend." + +Jacqueline flushed with joy and then turned deathly pale. Hope, doubt +and distrust reigned equally in her mind. News of Gysbert!--a chance to +rescue him!--she would go to the end of the world for that! But why had +not the writer of the note signed his name? Why had the little boy who +brought it run away so quickly? Oh, if Jan or Dr. de Witt were only here +to advise her! Oh, if there were but more time! She glanced at the note +again. It said--"Come immediately. The messenger has but fifteen minutes +to wait." Fifteen minutes! _One_ had gone already, while it would take +at least ten to reach the appointed spot. Only four minutes in which to +decide! But she had been forbidden to go out alone, especially at +night. That she concluded would not interfere if they knew that +Gysbert's welfare hung upon it. The girl was on a positive rack of +torturing doubt, but the note again conquered. "Thy brother sends his +love." Gysbert was then at least alive and safe, and was thinking of +her? "One who is thy friend."--Surely, no one who wished her evil could +subscribe that signature! If it were a _friend_ she need fear no harm. +Then and there she formed her determination to risk all and obey this +summons. God would surely watch over her! + +Catching up a light wrap she opened and closed the door softly, and sped +down the dark street. The night was starless and chilly; the few people +she met were hurrying in the opposite direction to witness the +conflagration at Nord Aa from Hengist Hill. Her way lay in the direction +of the city wall between the Cow Gate and the Tower of Burgundy. It was +a deserted section, and approaching it, she recognized it as the scene +of Gysbert's adventure in the canal. A shudder of apprehension shook her +but she hurried on. It was do or die now, and nothing could have induced +her to turn back. + +Reaching the end of the Wirtemstrasse, she found herself at the bend of +the canal described by Gysbert. A meadow stretched out before her, and +beyond that rose a section of the grim wall of Leyden. There was not a +soul in sight, and the girl began to think that in some way she had been +deceived. Concluding, however, that she might possibly be a little ahead +of time, she leaned over the rail of the stone bridge that crossed the +canal, and waited. + +[Illustration: Dirk Willumhoog seizes Jacqueline] + +Suddenly, without a warning sound, she felt herself seized from behind. +Before she could even cry out, a bandage was clapped over her mouth and +fastened at the back of her head. Instantly another was bound over her +eyes and her hands were tied behind her in spite of her desperate +struggles. In all this time she had not caught one glimpse of her +captor, but she heard a rough voice mutter: "Ah!--I have thee at last! I +have waited long enough for a chance to find thee unguarded by those two +watchdogs!" And she knew it to be the voice of Dirk Willumhoog! + +"Now walk with me and do exactly as I tell thee, if thou dost not wish +to be knocked in the head!" the voice commanded in a low key. In utter +despair Jacqueline was forced to obey, there being obviously no other +course to pursue. The man grasped her by one arm and pulled her along +after him. She could tell by the feeling of the ground that they were +crossing the meadow, and anticipating what was to come, she trembled +till her knees almost refused to support her. Presently she stepped up +to her ankles in a pool of water. + +"Draw a long breath and hold it!" commanded the voice. She tried to do +as she was told, when with a sudden plunge she was immersed head and +all, for what seemed an interminable length of time. At last she felt +her head raised above the surface. "Keep it up--so!" was the order. The +icy current more than once forced her from her feet, causing her to slip +under, and the atmosphere of the place struck a chill to her very +marrow. Once again the ground gave way beneath her, and she felt the +man's strong arm pulling her after him, while he swam in water too deep +for wading. + +But the girl's senses could no longer stand the strain of cold, fatigue +and terror, and at this point she suddenly became unconscious. How the +rest of the journey was accomplished she could never imagine, for she +knew no more till she came to herself in what seemed to be some sort of +narrow hallway. A door was opened and she was rudely thrust inside with +the exclamation: "There!--at length!--I thought I should never get thee +here!" Then the door was slammed to, and loudly bolted. + + + + +REUNITED + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +REUNITED + + +For a time Jacqueline sat huddled and motionless in the corner where she +had fallen. Her eyes were still bandaged, her mouth was gagged and her +hands were tied behind her. She wondered vaguely whether they would ever +come to release her from these bonds, and she shivered pitifully in her +wet garments. Finally she roused herself and struggled feebly to free +her hands. Her surprise was great when she found that the cords fell +apart easily, but it was not till later that she guessed the +secret--they had probably been severed nearly through before she was +pushed into the room. + +Once her hands were free, it was the work of but a few seconds to unbind +her eyes and mouth and look about her. The room was in inky darkness, +save where a small window admitted a faint gray light that indicated the +outer world. There was no sound anywhere through the house. Oh, if they +had only allowed her a little light! It was weird and uncanny to be thus +thrust into a strange room and left there in utter darkness. + +Presently the chill of her dripping clothes caused her to shudder and +give an involuntary moan. A moment after she was electrified by hearing +_something_ move, on the other side of the room. There was then some +living thing in here with her! A chill, not of cold this time but of +sheer terror, shook her from head to foot, and a wild desire to shriek +aloud possessed her. Again the dreaded something moved, breathed hard, +and uttered the word, "Jacqueline"! With a cry of joy and recognition +she sprang across the room, and brother and sister found themselves +tightly clasped in each others' arms. For a moment neither of them +could do anything but sob and laugh and kiss the other distractedly. At +last they grew sufficiently calm for speech. + +"Oh, Gysbert, my brother! Art thou truly unharmed and well? How did this +dreadful thing happen?" breathed Jacqueline. + +"Yes, I am alive and whole," he replied, "but how I got here is a long +story which I will tell thee later. But what about thee, Jacqueline? +Thou art soaking wet! How didst thou come to be caught in the same +trap?" In rapid sentences she sketched the history of the night's +adventures. + +"The scoundrel!" exclaimed Gysbert. "He must have brought thee through +that same hole in the wall. I felt sure he had been planning to capture +thee, but to-night when thou wert thrown so violently into the room, I +could not tell whether it was thyself or some new trap he had been +setting for me. Not till I heard thee moan was I sure. He has some +deep-laid scheme in getting possession of us two, but what it is I +cannot imagine. However, thou must get rid of these wet things, sister. +There is a little room adjoining this where thou canst sleep. It has +evidently been arranged for that purpose. Take off thy dripping clothes +and wrap thyself in the bed-coverings, and we will then tell each other +all that has happened since we parted. + +"Now," said Gysbert, when his sister had arrayed herself in the warm +bed-coverings, "I will begin by telling thee all about my journey to +Rotterdam." And he rehearsed to her all the details of his interview +with the Prince of Orange, and continued: "It took me another day and +night to pass Delft and reach the Spanish outposts. Feeling so certain I +should get through in safety, I think I grew a little reckless and +determined to try the route I had taken the first time. I never made a +bigger mistake! + +"In the first place, I hadn't an idea of the password, having been away +three days. As luck would have it, I failed to encounter my friend +Alonzo de Rova, but did meet right face to face with the same captain +who had arrested me before. He made short work of laying hands on me and +delivered me over to the charge of about six or eight soldiers in a big +tent. I tried again my scheme of drawing pictures, and they all became +very much interested, hanging over me with laughter and much admiration +as I drew the portrait of each one. I was hoping Alonzo would happen +along, but he didn't. + +"I cannot tell how my plan would have worked, nor whether the soldiers +would have released me, for just as I was finishing the last one, I +happened to look up and there was the evil face of Dirk Willumhoog in +the door of the tent, staring down at me. I thought perhaps he would not +recognize me in my disguise, but he did somehow. Disappearing for a +moment, he came back with the captain and pointed to me, saying: + +"'That is the boy I want, and I've been hunting for him all over. He is +no Glipper at all, but a spy and a very dangerous character. Give him to +me, and I'll see that he is properly taken care of.' I saw by this that +resistance would be useless, so I very meekly followed him out of the +tent. Once outside, he blindfolded my eyes, tied my hands, and led me +what seemed a long distance. At last we entered this house. Upstairs we +climbed, and inside this room he uncovered my eyes. 'We'll see if thou +art a Glipper!' he said, and proceeded to wash off all the stain. 'Now +we will pay off some old scores of long standing!' he added, and with a +heavy switch, he gave me such a beating as I never had in my life +before." + +"He beat _thee_!" exclaimed the girl, her eyes blazing in the dark. "Oh, +I could kill him for it!" + +"Yes, but I did not cry out!" replied Gysbert proudly. "Not one moan did +he hear from me, till at last he stopped from sheer weariness. 'That's +to pay for thy kind remarks on the day I left Leyden!' he said. 'We will +settle the rest later!' Then he took my bag and examined it, wondering +at the herbs, and finding the food and pigeon. 'What hast thou here?' he +asked, 'And why wast thou outside the walls?' I told him we were hungry, +and I had been trying to get some food by selling herbs. 'Thou liest!' +he shouted. 'What was this carrier pigeon for? I tell thee thou earnest +messages to the enemy!' + +"I said I had taken it so that in case I could not get back in time, I +could send a message. 'Well, _I'll_ send the message,' he replied, 'and +it will be somewhat differently worded, thou canst wager!' What was it, +Jacqueline?" The girl told him, and both together puzzled over the +supposition that Dirk and Vrouw Voorhaas must sometime have met, and +held some secret knowledge in common. She also told him what the woman +had uttered in her delirium, but they could make nothing of the mystery. +Then Gysbert went on with his story. + +"After that he left me, bolting the door behind him, and I was free to +look about me, and see where I was, as far as my limited space would +permit I found myself in this room which thou wilt see at daylight, with +the other small one opening from it. Both contained a bed, and that made +me guess that at some time he hoped to capture thee also. There are two +little windows well guarded by heavy iron bars like a prison. However, I +could see enough through them to guess where I was. This is a little, +lonely farmhouse well outside the village of Zoeterwoude. Thou knowest +where that is, Jacqueline. We have often gone there to buy pigeons. It +is about a mile and a half from Leyden. + +"The walls and floorings of the rooms are thick, and I seldom hear any +sounds from the rest of the house. There is no fireplace and very little +furniture. Well, here I was, and likely to remain till fortune again +turned in my favor! For three successive days Dirk came up and gave me a +beating, till I foresaw that this was to become a daily practice. +Otherwise I had food enough shoved in the door at me,--more than I had +in Leyden!--and nothing on earth to do. At length I became thoroughly +weary of the beating performance, and hit upon a scheme to avoid it. And +what dost thou think that was, Jacqueline?" + +"I cannot guess!" she answered. + +"Why, I pretended I had the _plague_!" he cried gleefully. "Oh, +Jacqueline, thou canst not guess what a desperate coward that Dirk +Willumhoog is! One day when I heard him coming, I held my breath till I +was scarlet in the face, like fever. I lay covered up in bed, and when +he entered, I began to toss my arms about and rave, as though light in +the head. He did not beat me that time, but stared at me uneasily for a +while, and went out muttering. He did not come in again that day, and I +had a chance to make myself a little worse! + +"I found a place in the wall where some loose plaster had fallen away +from the brick lining within. Breaking off some of this brick, powdering +and moistening it, I thus obtained some fine red paint with which I +proceeded to decorate myself. With the pail of water for a mirror, all +over my face and hands I imitated the blotches that appear on the +plague-stricken. Oh, I must have been a fine, healthful sight! + +"When Dirk came in to visit me next morning, he looked, gave one howl, +and rushed out of the room! I have not seen him since, and I know he +believes me far gone in this illness. Strange to say though, in spite of +his hatred, he does not seem to wish me to die, but has caused to be +thrust in the door the finest food and nourishment that could be +procured. I could live like a lord if I wished, but I scarcely touch it, +saving only enough to keep life in me, else he would surely suspect. +Thus have I passed the three weeks!" He ceased to speak, and for a while +they sat silent, hoping, doubting, fearing for the future, yet rejoicing +that they were at last together. + +"But now thou must go to bed, Jacqueline," said Gysbert at length. "Thou +art wearied out and sleep will do thee good." Obediently she crept into +the bed in the little room, dropped asleep almost as soon as her head +touched the pillow, and never woke till the sun was streaming in at the +small window high overhead. Rising and donning the clothes that were now +dry, she hurried into the next room to get the first glimpse at her +brother. + +He was indeed a remarkable sight, as he lay in bed exhibiting his +horribly blotched face and hands. It would have taken a keen eye, so +cleverly had he executed this dreadful decoration, to detect it as +false. + +"Thou must pretend to be greatly alarmed about me, Jacqueline, should +they interview thee, and do not be surprised at my ravings, for they +are right hair-raising!" Gysbert had hardly uttered this caution, when +there was a sound of steps approaching the door. Immediately he began to +toss his arms about, moan, mutter, and occasionally shriek in a muffled +manner. + +"Go away! Go away from me!" he raved. "Thou art not my sister! Why dost +thou say thou art Jacqueline! I do not know thee! Thou art someone sent +by that enemy of ours! Go away, go away, I tell thee!" Then the door was +unbolted, a basket of food was thrust within, and a voice was heard +calling above the racket of Gysbert's pretended delirium: + +"Juffrouw Jacqueline! Is thy brother very ill?" + +"Yes," answered the girl trembling. "He is so sorely ill that I fear he +will die!" + +"Well, thou must not let him die! Thou must nurse him carefully. We do +not wish either of you to come to harm." + +"Why dost thou keep us here?" demanded Jacqueline growing bolder. "Let +us go away where he can get a doctor and proper treatment." + +"'Tis not for thee to inquire why thou art here. That thou shalt perhaps +know in due time," answered the voice. "As for a doctor, it is +impossible to procure one and inadvisable to bring him here if we could. +Thou knowest much about nursing the plague, and hast had rare experience +in the city. If thou dost need any special food or medicine for him we +will try to procure it, but otherwise all must remain as it is. Dost +think this case is very contagious?" + +"Ah, very!" replied Jacqueline, slyly. "Even the odor from the room is +enough to infect one, especially if one fears it greatly!" At this the +door was slammed hastily shut, and when the children had heard the last +departing footsteps of Dirk Willumhoog die away, they could not, in +spite of their danger, repress a giggle of uncontrollable mirth! + + + + +ADRIAN VAN DER WERF + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +ADRIAN VAN DER WERF + + +Words cannot express the astonishment of Jan Van Buskirk when he +returned from the burgomaster's, to find no Jacqueline in the little +house in Belfry Lane. Unfortunately, she had still grasped the crumpled +note in her hand when she left the house, so he had absolutely no clew +to her whereabouts. The only explanation he could offer to himself was +that she must have gone out unpremeditatedly to obtain some fresh +medicine at a little chemist shop near by. So he sat down to wait for +her return. + +But the time passed on and still she did not come. An hour rolled by and +Vrouw Voorhaas awoke to ask for Jacqueline. Jan quieted her by telling +her that the girl had retired to take a little rest, and Vrouw Voorhaas +went to sleep again. Another hour passed, and Jan, frightened almost out +of his senses, resolved to seek Dr. de Witt. Waking Vrouw Voorhaas he +told her that he did not feel well and was going out to consult the +doctor. She, he said, must go quietly to sleep again, as it was nothing +serious. Unsuspectingly she assented, and he hurried out to find Dr. de +Witt, weary with his day's exertion, just about to turn into bed. The +tale was soon told, and Pieter de Witt lost not a moment in resuming his +clothes. + +"She has answered some summons," said he, "and has been led into a trap. +I know it! I have suspected all along that something like this would +happen when we least dreamed of it. My God! It is unthinkable!" From end +to end the two searched the city that night. No one had heard of her, +none had seen her, and they returned home in the gray of early morning, +foot-sore, despairing and heartsick. + +"It will kill Vrouw Voorhaas," said De Witt, "and by this time she must +certainly know something is wrong, since both you and the girl have been +away all night. Come right for me, Jan, if it is necessary, but I must +turn in now for just a few moment's rest, or I'll break down too." Poor +Jan crept home broken and almost in tears. At the door he was met by +Vrouw Voorhaas who had dragged herself out of bed to search the house +for its usual inmates. Her eyes were wild and haggard, and she faced him +fiercely. + +"Where hast thou been all night? Where are Jacqueline and Gysbert?" she +demanded. + +"Oh, they are all right,--all safe!" he tried to prevaricate, but his +face betrayed him. + +"It is not so! Thou liest!" she interrupted him. "Evil has come to +them,--I know it! I know it! For many days have I suspected that all was +not well with Gysbert, and now Jacqueline has disappeared too. Thou +canst not deceive me! Do not try! Ah, Dirk Willumhoog, thou--" She +could not finish, but fell unconscious at the feet of Jan. + +He tried to raise her, but in his own weakened condition found it +impossible, and concluded that the best thing to do was to go back at +once for the doctor. Pieter de Witt, exhausted but indefatigable still +in the cause of his friends, hurried back with him at once. Together +they succeeded in raising her and getting her back to bed, but they +failed utterly in restoring her to consciousness. Dr. de Witt shook his +head many times over the black prospect. + +"This shock has caused a sudden relapse--and no wonder!" he said. "I +sadly fear that the end is not now far away. Thou wilt have to be her +attendant now, Jan. For the sake of the children do thy best, and I will +help thee!" + +"There is one more possibility that we have not tried," said Jan. "We +did not go to the burgomaster's. Can it be possible that another message +came while I was returning, and she hurried out with it, going some +other way? Perchance as it was late, Mynheer Van der Werf's wife would +not allow her to go home, and has kept her till morning. Perchance she +has been taken sick there." + +"It is a small chance, Jan,--a very small one!" said De Witt. "They +would surely have sent us word in any case. But go to him if it will set +thy heart at rest. I will stay with Vrouw Voorhaas the while." Jan set +out once more, his poor old legs fairly tottering under him with loss of +sleep, lack of food, and weakness. But excitement still buoyed him up, +and the faint, vague hope that Jacqueline might have passed the night +with Mevrouw Van der Werf spurred him on to one more effort. It was yet +too early to find the burgomaster at the statehouse, so he proceeded +straight to the residence in the Werfsteg. + +He was obliged to lift the heavy knocker several times before he could +arouse the sleepy servants within. At length he was admitted by a +yawning, hastily clad domestic who went to call the burgomaster. Van der +Werf came down quickly, expecting another message from outside the city. +His face was pale, haggard and careworn, and his eyes showed plainly +that he had passed a sleepless night. + +"Jan," he cried, "what news hast thou? Is there another message?" Then +seeing the old man's wild, questioning eyes,--"Ah! what ails thee? Has +anything dreadful happened?" + +"Is she not here? Is she not here?" muttered Jan, sinking limply into a +chair. + +"Is who not here?" questioned Van der Werf mystified. + +"Jacqueline!--the Juffrouw Jacqueline!" + +"Juffrouw Jacqueline has not been here for three days! Why, Jan, what +has happened?" Then the old man told the story, while Van der Werf +listened with darkening face. + +"'Tis passing strange! 'Tis fairly devillish!" he vociferated. "I could +feel no worse if harm had come to one of my own family! Nay, I know +nothing about her, and what is worse, I can do nothing. I am as helpless +as thou art. My hands are tied! Thou sayest thou hast searched the +city?--even I can do no more! If she has by any means been taken beyond +the walls,--God help her!" The two men sat for some moments gloomily +silent. Jan had reached a point of exhaustion where his body absolutely +refused to obey the behests of his mind,--when he attempted to take his +departure, he could not rise from his chair. + +"Thou must stay and have a little food and drink,--such poor stuff as I +can offer thee!" said the burgomaster seeing his plight, and he rang for +a servant to bring in such fare as they had in the house. Jan had no +heart to attack the breakfast, but Van der Werf insisted that he should +eat a little to sustain his strength. So he made a brave attempt, while +the burgomaster strode restlessly up and down the room. + +"Jan, Jan!" he cried at length. "The Lord hath put more on my shoulders +than mortal man can bear! Dost thou know, it is by my will alone that +this city holds out? Daily I receive the most cajoling and fair-spoken +notes from Commander Valdez. He makes the most extravagant promises of +mercy and leniency if I will only open the gates. 'Tis but a siren's +song, as everyone well knows! Yet the dissatisfied ones are clamorous to +try once more the mercy of the Spaniard!--They accuse me of starving and +killing them for a mere question of my personal pride. My God! has not +one of my own family already died of the plague? Is not my own wife even +now desperately ill? Am _I_ the gainer by my policy? Alas, no! Jan, a +dead body was found placed against my door yesterday morning. We all +know what that means,--they lay the city's terrible plight to my +stubbornness. But while I live, I swear I will not open the gates!" + +When Jan somewhat refreshed, had finished his meal and rose to start for +home, Van der Werf offered to accompany him a way, saying he wanted no +breakfast himself and must be at the statehouse early. Together they +went out, the burgomaster supporting the old man's feeble steps as +tenderly as a son might have assisted his father. Not many rods behind +them, two or three malcontents, well-known for having always leaned +toward the opinions of the Glippers, began to follow the magistrate, +muttering remarks of no very pleasant nature. Jan the fiery, turned +about once and rebuked them: + +"Hold thy tongue, Janus de Vries! And thou, Pieter Brouwer, hast thou +not thyself been fed from the burgomaster's own kitchen! I know all +about thee! Who art thou to utter complaint!" + +"Do not pay any more attention to them, Jan, lest they begin to be wordy +and attract more attention to themselves and us than is desirable!" said +Van der Werf. But a crowd had already begun to gather, which in an +incredibly short time grew into a mob, shouting, yelling, gesticulating, +fiercely demanding bread and the opening of the gates. The burgomaster +began to fear, not for his own life, but for that of the feeble old man +who would be so helpless in their hands did they come at last to +violence. Just at this crisis, they emerged into the triangular space in +front of the old church of St. Pancras. + +Deeming the time ripe for him to exert all his powers of persuasion on +this threatening throng, Van der Werf ascended the steps of the edifice, +placed Jan in a protecting angle of the doorway, and turned about to +face the crowd. As he removed his great felt hat, the morning sunlight +fell through the surrounding lime-trees on a face, calm, imposing and +softened with a great and overwhelming sadness. Its silent appeal +touched even the hearts of the famishing mob, and when he raised his +hand there was instant silence. Then after a moment he spoke, in words +that history has forever made memorable: + +"What would ye, my friends? Why do ye murmur that we do not break our +vows and surrender to the Spaniards? That would be a fate more horrible +than what the city now endures! I tell you I have made an oath to hold +the city, and may God give me strength to keep that oath! I can die but +once, whether by your hands, or the enemy's, or the hand of God. My own +fate is indifferent to me, but not so that of the city which has been +entrusted to my care. I know that we shall starve if we are not soon +relieved, but starvation is preferable to a dishonored death, is it not? +Your threats move me not! My life is at your disposal. Here is my +sword,--plunge it into my breast if ye will! Take my body to appease +your hunger, but do not expect me to surrender while I live!" He held +out his arms a moment, then dropped them at his side. + +Instantly a great shout of approval went up from the multitude. In the +twinkling of an eye the threats were changed to cries of encouragement +to the city and defiance to the enemy, transmuted by the persistent, +dogged courage of one man standing absolutely alone! + +"Long live Adrian Van der Werf!" they shouted. "We will indeed fight to +the end!" And leaving the two standing on the steps of St. Pancras, the +crowd rushed to the walls where they remained all day hurling renewed +defiance at the Spaniards. + +When the mob had deserted them, Van der Werf escorted Jan to Belfry Lane +and left him at the door, after which he proceeded with firmer step and +easier mind to his daily duties at the statehouse. But when Jan reached +Vrouw Voorhaas's room, he sat suddenly down in a chair and looked hard +at the doctor, who noticed that the old man's expression was as exalted +as though he had seen some heavenly vision. + +"What is the matter?" he asked. "Hast thou found Juffrouw Jacqueline?" + +"Nay," answered Jan, "I have not found her. But Pieter de Witt, I have +just beheld the finest act of courage that it was ever the lot of one +poor man to witness! If Adrian Van der Werf can thus bear the sorrows of +a whole city on his heart, thou and I, through God, must not shrink at +the burdens His wisdom has seen fit to lay upon us!" And he told the +doctor of his morning's experience. + + + + +ALONZO DE ROVA IS AS GOOD AS HIS WORD + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +ALONZO DE ROVA IS AS GOOD AS HIS WORD + + +Meanwhile, Jacqueline and Gysbert, isolated in the upper room of the +little farmhouse in Zoeterwoude, found themselves with a great deal of +time on their hands, and liberty to do pretty much as they liked within +their limited space. The fiction of Gysbert's illness with the plague +was rigorously adhered to, and beyond opening the door a crack to poke +in the food, Dirk Willumhoog never ventured to intrude. Every day he +would shout through the closed door to Jacqueline, inquiring about +Gysbert's condition. Generally she would reply that he was no better, or +that the symptoms were very much worse. Very infrequently she answered +that he was a little better. + +They lived on the best of fare, for Dirk was evidently anxious that the +patient should have every opportunity in that way to improve. Gysbert +now ate even more than his share, but Jacqueline was of course supposed +to have consumed the larger amount. On the whole, though, they felt that +the deception could not be sustained very much longer, without +discovery. From the barred windows they watched constantly, endeavoring +to discover in that way if possible, something that was going on. There +was little life about the farmhouse, though they occasionally saw a few +Spanish soldiers go in and out, and a woman sometimes moving about the +yard. Only once they overheard a conversation that threw some light on +whose house they were inhabiting. A soldier entered the yard one day, +and was accosted by this woman who seemed to belong to the place. + +"Hast thou heard any news of my husband?" she questioned. + +"Nothing certain, Vrouw Hansleer," he replied, "but there is a rumor +that the Prince has discovered him and had him cast into prison." Then +the two passed out of hearing. But Gysbert snapped his fingers +delightedly and cried: + +"_Hansleer_, is it! Now I know where we are, Jacqueline! The Prince told +me that the name of the wretch who was deceiving him was Joachim +Hansleer,--dost thou not remember? And it is due to me that he has been +imprisoned! How much dost thou suppose our lives would be worth if Dirk +Willumhoog and Vrouw Hansleer knew that! Long live the Prince, and may +he keep our secret!" + +But one day when Gysbert was looking from the window, he was startled by +the sight of a figure that had something familiar in its aspect. It was +a man in the uniform of a Spanish soldier who was tall and finely built, +but his face could not be seen by the boy. Presently however, he looked +up, and Gysbert recognized in an instant the features of Alonzo de +Rova! Immediately a plan formed itself in his mind. + +"Jacqueline," he whispered, "it is a big risk, but I'm going to take the +chance! He half-promised to help me if ever I needed it. Now we will +see! The yard is deserted and I will try to attract his attention." +Suiting the action to the word, he gave a low whistle, and the soldier +looked up. Seeing this strange, horribly spotted face at the window, he +uttered a startled exclamation: + +"By St. Lawrence! what dost thou want with me? Art thou the +plague-stricken boy Dirk Willumhoog is keeping for some unknown +purpose?" + +"Yes," answered Gysbert in a low tone. "Dost thou not remember the +little Glipper lad who drew thy portrait?" + +"By the Pope! I do!" replied Alonzo. "Surely thou art not he!" + +"I am," said Gysbert. "Wilt thou help me? If so, ask to come up and see +me." + +"But thou hast the plague!" answered the soldier. For reply Gysbert +shook his head and significantly rubbed off one of the brick-dust spots. +Alonzo gave a loud guffaw of appreciation at the joke, and nodded +encouragingly. "Wait!" he motioned with his lips, for someone was coming +out of the house. Not long after the children heard a great commotion on +the stairs. Immediately Gysbert leaped into bed, covered himself well, +and began to moan and rave incoherently, while Jacqueline trembled lest +their secret should now be discovered through her brother's rashness. +Nearer and nearer came the sounds, as of remonstrance and scuffling +combined: + +"I tell thee I will see them, Dirk! It will do no harm, and thou sayest +the lass is pretty. I wager five florins she is not so fair as my +sweetheart in Madrid! Dost thou take the wager?" + +"Nay, but thou wilt catch the plague! Thou canst not wish to risk that. +The boy is a terrible sight, and the very odor of the room will infect +thee!" + +"Zounds, man! how careful thou art of my health! But, fortunately, I do +not fear the plague. I had it three years ago and got over it bravely. +They say one is then exempt and can never catch it again. Let me go, +Dirk." + +"Aye, but I will not answer for the consequences, thou reckless man!" +answered Dirk as he reluctantly unbolted the door, shutting it again +quickly, when the soldier was once inside. Alonzo sat down on a vacant +chair, and laughed till the tears rolled down his cheeks, at the capers +Gysbert cut, raving and tossing, shouting and groaning, and flinging the +bed-clothes about. + +"Thou art the cleverest lad I ever met!" he whispered, glancing +significantly at the door, to intimate that Dirk was probably outside +listening. Then aloud: + +"By the Pope! thou art in a right bad predicament, and methinks thou +hast not much longer to survive, my lively boy! And thy sister is truly +as handsome as Dirk painted her. But I like the dark beauty of my Inez +best!" Here someone called Dirk loudly, and they heard him descending +the stairs. Knowing however, that his absence would probably not be for +long, they made the best use of their time. + +"De Rova," hurriedly whispered Gysbert, "we are caught here like rats in +a trap! Canst thou help us to escape?" + +"Willingly would I," answered the soldier, "for I have not forgotten the +splendid portrait of me which I sent to Madrid. I do truly think it has +at last turned the undecided heart of fair Inez Montagno toward me, for +her letters of late, have been warmer and less flouting. Also I bear no +particular love to Dirk Willumhoog, who has done me one or two sneaking +ill turns that he thinks I do not trace to him. But how can I aid thee? +I cannot unlock doors so carefully guarded. I cannot waft thee from +barred windows, nor can I rescue thee with ladders! What wilt thou?" + +"Only one thing!" said Gysbert quickly. "Hast thou a knife about thee? +If so, leave it with me, I pray! No--" seeing the soldier's questioning +glance--"I do not mean to kill anyone with it, but with something sharp +in our possession I think we can furnish our own means of escape." For +an answer the Spaniard drew from his belt a short-handled weapon with a +strong Toledo blade, and placed it in the boy's hands. Quickly +concealing it under his mattress, Gysbert thanked him with an eloquent +look. But footsteps were again approaching, and all knew that the +interview must soon end. Alonzo turned to Jacqueline with a look of +reverent admiration in his eyes: + +"Fair young Juffrouw, beyond everything do I admire thy quiet courage +and devotion to thy brother. For the sake of my lady, Donna Inez +Montagno, whom I shall one day tell all about thee, may I kiss thy hand +in farewell?" Jacqueline, genuinely touched, extended her hand. De Rova +dropped gallantly on one knee and touched it with his lips. + +"I would that I could do more for thee," he whispered, "but I have done +all that is in my power. God bless you both, and grant you success!" A +knock was heard at the door, Gysbert began to rave again, and Alonzo +prepared to take his departure. + +"They are hard put to it!" the children heard him telling Dirk as he +went out. "I doubt whether the boy will recover, and he is not in his +senses a minute. But I have won my wager, Dirk! I consider Donna Inez +far handsomer than thy little Juffrouw Jacqueline in there!" + +"But is he not a jewel!" whispered Gysbert. "I told thee I had made a +friend when I cultivated his acquaintance. This pretty little blade is +going to save us, I hope!" and he stroked the weapon admiringly. + +"But how?" demanded Jacqueline, in wonder. + +"Trust me, and thou wilt see!" was all he would reply. + + + + +THE EAVESDROPPERS AND THE PLOT + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +THE EAVESDROPPERS AND THE PLOT + + +Gysbert did not keep his sister long in doubt as to the use he proposed +to make of Alonzo de Rova's Toledo blade. The first thing he did caused +her considerable wonder and not a little alarm. In one corner of the +room he pried up the tiles of the flooring for the space of a square +foot, and cut away the planking underneath, leaving nothing but some +thin lath and plaster between them and the room below. + +"Oh, Gysbert! what art thou doing?" asked Jacqueline in distress. "We +will be discovered and all will be lost!" + +"Not at all!" said Gysbert as he covered up his work by carefully +replacing everything he had removed. "No one will suspect what I have +done, and through this hole we can listen to much that goes on below. +We may hear something worth while if we listen hard enough! But that is +only one thing I intend to do with this valuable weapon. Let me show +thee to what other use it may be put!" He went to the window, +reconnoitered long and carefully to see that no one was near, and then +commenced to file away at one of the iron bars, digging carefully into +the wood in which it was imbedded, and using every effort to dislodge it +from the socket in which it was set. + +"This will be a long and tedious piece of work," he remarked. "There are +three thick bars, each set stoutly in woodwork nearly as hard as iron +itself, and we want to do this work so carefully that it will not be +noticeable should anyone enter the room. Each bar will have to be +loosened both top and bottom, and I know not how long it will take us. +We will work as constantly as we can, and I doubt not in time we shall +be free as the birds, as far as this window is concerned. 'Tis a good +thing the blade is sharp and enduring!" + +"Yes, but even so," demurred Jacqueline, "what are we going to do when +the bars are loosed? To be as free as the birds, as thou sayest, we must +have wings, for we are fully twenty feet from the ground!" + +"There are many ways to get out of a window, Jacqueline, as thou wouldst +know if thou hadst climbed in and out of one as many times as I have! +But that too will all come in good season, and meanwhile we must work +away at the bars." Hope,--even vague and indefinite hope,--lends wings +to the soul and zest to the brain and hands. This faint glimmer that had +been cast across the blackness of the two children's prospects so filled +their hearts with its brightness that they were almost gay, as they +sawed away on the stout iron bars. They would have shouted and sung, had +not that performance surely encouraged unwelcome attention in their +direction. + +That same night Gysbert removed the tiles and piece of plank from the +hole he had dug in the flooring. Leaning over it the children strove to +gather, from any sounds they might hear, what was going on beneath them. +It was destined that they should hear something that night which while +it enlightened them upon several points hitherto inscrutable, served in +no way to add to their peace of mind. The room just under theirs was +evidently one that was not often used, for it seemed to be dark and +deserted. Presently however, a light shown through the cracks in the +ceiling, someone was heard moving about, and voices whispered words that +could not be distinguished. At length the sentence, "He is even now +coming!" penetrated up through the ceiling, and there was another +silence. Then the neighing of horses was heard outside. A loud tramping +of heavily shod feet resounded on the wooden floors, the door of the +room below opened, and three people entered. + +"Sit you down! Pray, sit you down!" said a voice easily recognized as +Dirk Willumhoog's. "We will be secure here from all interruption and can +talk freely, with absolutely no fear of being overheard!" Here Gysbert +pinched Jacqueline till she almost laughed aloud. Two gruff voices +replied in monosyllables, and there was a scraping of chairs and +jingling of spurs, as the two horsemen placed themselves at the table. + +"Now," commanded one of the gruff voices, "tell us quickly, Dirk +Willumhoog, what is this plan that thou hast, and we will then discuss +whether it be worth considering!" + +"Nay, nay, Commander Valdez!" whined Dirk. "We must not be quite so +speedy!" + +"Didst thou hear that, Jacqueline?" whispered Gysbert. "Commander +Valdez!--Now we are going to hear something worth while!" + +"Come, come!" put in the third voice impatiently. "Why all this +parleying? If thou hast a plan worth considering, out with it, and thou +shalt be recompensed accordingly. Dost thou think us willing to sit here +all night to split hairs with such as thou?" + +"Not so fast! not so fast, Colonel Borgia!" complained Dirk. "If my plan +is worth anything it is worth bargaining for, and I do not intend to +sell it cheaply, I assure you!" + +"Jacqueline," again whispered Gysbert, "there is some dreadful plan +afoot! Colonel Borgia is the Spaniard in command of Fort Lammen, the +strongest redoubt against the city. Listen!--" + +"Well, Dirk," interrupted Valdez, perceiving evidently that it would not +do to try bullying this subtle rascal, "tell us then what is thy price +for the service thou dost propose to render the Spanish army?" + +"Fifty thousand florins!" replied Dirk, calmly but firmly. + +"_Fifty thousand flying devils!_" roared Valdez pounding the table with +his fist. "Dost thou think the Spanish treasury is a mine of diamonds? +Away with thee, thou scurvy rascal! Come, Borgia! 'tis useless parleying +with a madman!" + +"Gentlemen," remarked Dirk, quite unmoved by this outburst on the part +of the Spanish general, "you do me wrong. Did you but know my plan, you +would say it was easily worth full twice the amount I have named. +However, I have other ways of disposing profitably of my secret, should +my terms not appeal to you!" In the silence that ensued, the two +listeners could imagine the Spaniards consulting each other with +uncertain glances. At last the voice of Valdez spoke again, this time in +a more conciliatory tone: + +"Willumhoog, I am not authorized to offer any such amount as thou dost +name. But I swear to thee that I will consult with one ever gracious +and merciful King Philip II, at the earliest opportunity, to obtain this +amount for thee, using every influence in my power." + +"Will your worship put that down in writing?" inquired Dirk eagerly. + +"Certainly, certainly!" replied the general, glad to have made an +impression so easily. Dirk hastened out, evidently to obtain pen and +paper, and was back again in a jiffy. "I have one more request to make," +he remarked in honeyed tones. "As thou wilt!" said Valdez. + +"It is that your worship will write at my dictation." + +There was another uneasy pause, and then the general acquiesced, +muttering that he did not have to write anything that he did not wish! + +"I, General Valdez," dictated Dirk, "Commander of the Spanish army +before Leyden, do hereby give my promise that I will intercede with His +Majesty, Philip II, to pay over to Dirk Willumhoog, for the valuable +secret he shall impart concerning an unknown entrance into the city, the +sum of fifty thousand florins." Scratch, scratch went the pen, and +coming to this point, Valdez exclaimed: "There now I will sign my name!" + +"Not quite yet!" said Dirk quietly. "There is something else!"--"And if +I do not succeed in so persuading His Majesty, I stand ready to +reimburse said Dirk Willumhoog for the amount remaining above what he +shall have already received, out of my own private funds and estates." + +"Never!" shouted Valdez, springing to his feet and clanking around the +room. "Dost thou take me for a natural-born fool, thou sneaking rascal!" + +"The loss will be all your worship's," responded Dirk unmoved, "as the +glory would also be, could you but take the city by surprise. I am not +asking for glory. I do not wish my part in it to become generally +known. All I ask is the gold!" Valdez and Borgia consulted together for +a moment in low tones, and the result of their consultation seemed to be +the hasty decision that they must capitulate. + +"Very well!" declared the general, "I will write as thou hast said, but +mark my words! Thou hadst better keep out of my way, Dirk Willumhoog, +when this transaction is completed!" + +"And now, gentlemen, just one thing more," added Dirk when the writing +was finished and in his possession. "As an earnest of your good faith, I +require a thousand florins to be paid me at once!" More splutterings +from Borgia and explosions from Valdez ensued, but this was evidently +mere bluster, for after a due amount of bickering and bargaining, a +clinking of coins was heard, and money was counted out slowly and +reluctantly. + +"There!" said Valdez, "Thou hast now every jot thou didst demand. Out +with thy secret, and be quick about it, for we have not all night to +spend!" + +"This, then, is my story," answered Dirk. "I have discovered--never mind +how!--a passageway through a certain part of the wall of Leyden. Not a +soul knows of its existence save myself, and none could ever find it +unassisted, for I myself stumbled upon it quite by chance. There is room +for but one to pass through at a time, and the passage is dangerous. But +it would be an easy matter to introduce a regiment of soldiers through +it in the night, and in the morning the town would be yours for the +inhabitants are all too weak from starvation to make much resistance." + +"But where _is_ this secret passage?" demanded Valdez. + +"That will I not divulge till I lead the first soldier through it," +replied Willumhoog shrewdly. "When does your worship think would be the +best and earliest opportunity to effect the entrance?" + +Again Valdez and Borgia consulted together. + +"To-day is the thirtieth of September," replied the general. "On the +night of October third we will have all in readiness, and thou shalt +fulfill thy promise. At the same time Colonel Borgia shall make an +assault upon the wall on the opposite side of the city, and thus draw +off the attention from our place of ingress." With a few more remarks +relative to the payment of the money, and a hasty and anything but +cordial leave-taking, the two Spaniards tramped out, mounted their +horses and rode away. The lights in the room below were extinguished, +the door was shut, and darkness and silence reigned throughout the +farmhouse. But up in their prison room, the two children clasped each +other and shuddered with horror at the dark crime that was soon to be +committed. + +"It is frightful, Gysbert!" moaned Jacqueline. "Our beautiful city that +has so long and so bravely held out will be given over by this traitor +to the Spanish fury!" + +"But what makes me feel the worst," raged Gysbert, "is that I could not +warn the burgomaster of that breach, as the Prince bade me! Why did I +not think to tell Mynheer Van der Werf before I went away! Why didst not +thou tell him, Jacqueline?" + +"I somehow never thought of it when I was with him, and he never asked +me how Dirk got in. I think his mind was all but distracted with the +burden of the city's distress, so that he could give no heed to what +seemed then but a comparatively light matter. Oh, Gysbert! can we do +nothing about it? Surely God who led us to overhear this vile plot will +show us the way to foil it!" + +"I think He will!" said Gysbert reverently. "And anyhow, I am going to +pray to-night that He show us some means of getting out of our prison +and warning the city. Wilt thou too, Jacqueline?" + +"I will indeed!" answered the girl. "And before we go to bed we will +work long at the bars, for that seems our surest means of escape." + +"Only three days!" groaned Gysbert. "I would that it were as many times +as far away. But in three days we can do much--if we work hard!" + + + + +WHEN THE WIND CHANGED + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +WHEN THE WIND CHANGED + + +All the next day the children bent every effort toward sawing and +digging away at their window bars, but the hours wore away and only one +had been completely loosened, while another was unfastened at the +bottom. The knife-blade was becoming dull with this rough usage, and +their courage dropped in proportion as their strength gave out and night +approached. Well on in the afternoon, Gysbert again removed the tiles +and planking, for both had imagined they heard unusual sounds in the +room below. They were not mistaken. A moment's listening convinced them +that it was Dirk and the wife of Joachim Hansleer, holding an animated +conversation in low tones. + +"Give me my share now, Dirk!" they heard the woman say. "If thou art +going to depart for Spain shortly, it will be just as well to settle up +this matter at once. I know not where my good man Joachim is, nor when I +will see him again, and I need the money." + +"I shall not depart for Spain with those brats till after the sack of +the city, when the boy ought to be better. I do not half believe he is +as ill as he makes out to be. Why canst thou not wait till then?" +answered Dirk. "I must go away this afternoon, and will probably not be +back till after the third. I am going to make one more test to see if my +secret is still safe and practicable. When I return will be time +enough!" + +"Thou art a slippery eel, Dirk Willumhoog, and that I know right well!" +replied the woman. "After the excitement is all over, thou wouldst find +some means of sliding away without paying up thy just debts. I swear to +thee that if thou dost not pay me at once those three hundred florins +which are due me for my trouble, I will go straightway upstairs after +thou art gone to the city and release those two children! And I care not +what may be the consequences!" + +This knock-down argument evidently convinced Dirk that it would be best +to parley no longer with the decided Vrouw Hansleer, but pay her at +once. There was a clinking of coins, a counting aloud, several disputes +over the reckoning, and at last the matter was settled and peace +restored. + +"Remember," warned Dirk as they were leaving the room, "to guard those +children well, for they will surely mean more money to us--" Then the +door was shut and the listeners heard no more. + +"What can all this mean!" queried Gysbert. "Didst thou hear him speak of +'taking those two brats to Spain in a short time'? That means us, of +course! What can he possibly mean to do with us there, and how can we +bring him more money? One would think we were important personages and +he was trying to get a ransom for us!" + +"It is all dark and mysterious," answered his sister, "but if we do what +we hope, Master Willumhoog will receive a little surprise before October +third! Come, we must waste no more time, but work away!" Later on they +saw Dirk Willumhoog leave the house, carrying with him a bag which they +did not doubt contained the remaining seven hundred florins. While +watching his progress down the road, Gysbert's attention suddenly became +fixed on something in the sky, and he seized Jacqueline's arm excitedly. + +"Look, look!" he cried. "Dost thou see?" + +"I see nothing! What is it?" + +"Why the wind is changing! Look at those black clouds rising out of the +northwest! Look at the leaves of the trees all bending toward the east! +Look at the birds flying so low! I tell thee, Jacqueline, we are going +to have a terrible storm! The equinoctial gale should have come a week +ago, but it is here at last!" + +What Gysbert predicted was quite correct. The continual east wind had at +last shifted to the northwest, bringing with it the strong, salt smell +of the sea. The sky was still beautifully clear and blue, but a +weather-wise person would have certainly read the signs of coming +change. Dirk Willumhoog was now far out of sight, but they saw Vrouw +Hansleer come out to the yard and scan the horizon anxiously. + +"Here, Jacqueline," said Gysbert when the woman had gone in, "give me +that knife now, while thou dost take a rest. We must get along even +faster, for if the wind holds and the water rises, there will be fine +doings to-night, and we want to be prepared to take our part. Look! I +think the top of this end bar will give way in a short time." + +"This surely will float the fleet, will it not?" asked his sister. "The +night I was captured Boisot sent a message that he was at Nord Aa, but +must remain there until the water rose. They have probably been stranded +there ever since." + +"Surely, surely!" answered Gysbert. "And what is more, we ought to have +a full view from our little window here, if they come by. For though we +are a good distance from the canal, I think we could get a fine sight of +a battle, if there is to be one. Oh, I hope there will be a battle!" In +a frenzy of excitement, they kept at their work till darkness fell. +Before the last streaks of twilight had faded, they had witnessed the +puddles in the road grow and spread into small ponds, the ponds widen +and join themselves into a shallow lake which lapped against the walls +of the house. + +Then came the tempest! The wind raged and howled; the sky was black with +high-piled clouds; the tree branches tossed and groaned, or were split +asunder with loud cracking noises; the walls of the farmhouse shook, +the windows rattled, and pandemonium itself seemed let loose! The +children trembled, half with awed admiration at this war in the +elements, half with delight at what this would mean to the besieged +city, and clasped their hands convulsively at every louder roar of the +wind or crash of huge trees falling. Down below it was evident that +panic and disorder reigned supreme. Cries and shouts of dismay mingled +with the shrill screaming of a woman's voice. Once they heard Vrouw +Hansleer splash out into the flooded yard, calling to someone unseen in +the darkness: + +"Come, Wilhelm! come and help me move my furniture! Oh, my beautiful +furniture! it will all be ruined!" + +"Zounds, woman!" responded the voice. "Dost thou think thou canst save +thy wretched furniture in this pass! Thou shalt be thankful to get off +with thy life! Take what thou canst carry and be quick, for the Kirk-way +is broken through, and the flood will soon be upon us. Hurry, hurry, I +say! Merciful St. Anthony! I can hear it roar now!" And true enough, +from far in the distance came a faint, ominous sound, low at first as +the sighing of a summer breeze, yet dreadful enough to those who +understood it, to paralyze every muscle with terror. With one final +shriek Vrouw Hansleer darted into the house for a moment, then out again +and the children heard the retreating footsteps splashing hurriedly down +the road. After that a deathlike silence reigned in the house. + +"Gysbert, they have gone and left us!" cried the terrified Jacqueline. +"Left us to perish here like rats drowned in a trap when the flood +reaches us! Oh, it is cruel, cruel!" + +"Nonsense!" retorted her brother. "This is the finest thing that could +have happened. I am certain the flood will not rise higher than these +windows, so we will be perfectly safe from drowning. And now that they +have deserted the house, we can turn our attention to getting out of the +door somehow, and not bother with these window bars any longer. I feel +certain the wood of the door will yield to this knife, and when we have +made a hole big enough, we can crawl out, or burst it open, or pull back +the bolts, or something. But we must be quick about it, for we want to +get ahead of Dirk and warn the city before October third. That is the +day after to-morrow." In the pitchy darkness they groped and found the +door. Gysbert began immediately to hack away at one of the panels, +finding that it offered much less resistance than did the deeply +imbedded iron bars of the window. + +"Courage, Jacqueline!" he called at intervals. "We are going to make it +soon, without fail. But thou hadst best keep watch at the window." The +storm far from abating, increased in violence. The wind shifted again +from the northwest to the southwest, piling up the waters of the German +ocean in huge masses, and dashing them against the broken dykes. At +about eleven o'clock, the ominous, distant murmur increased to a loud +roar. Jacqueline at the window called to Gysbert, and together they +watched the terrible, awe-inspiring sight, or as much of it as they +could see in the darkness. + +The dreadful _something_ approached nearer and nearer, till, with an +ear-splitting sound it suddenly appeared out of the gloom,--a huge black +wall of water nearly ten feet high, rolling forward with incredible +swiftness, deluging, submerging, or pushing before it everything that +came in its way. For one horrible instant it surged about the house, +rocking the structure to its very foundations, and threatening to uproot +it outright, and fling it to the ground. But the house stood firm, and +the vanguard of the flood passed on, leaving the water well up to the +second story window, and burying all else in its swirling depths. + +When this moment of danger was past the children breathed again. Gysbert +went back to his work on the door with only an, "I told thee so!" while +Jacqueline kept watch at her post by the window. The black waters just a +little way below her seemed dangerously near, and she imagined them to +be rapidly rising. But as they were not yet up to the window, the +children were for the present, at least, safe. + +At midnight another panorama was spread before their eyes. While Gysbert +was digging away at the door, Jacqueline was suddenly startled by a +bright flash and a sharp report, across the black waste of waters. +Instantly it was followed by a resounding roar, as from the mouths of +twenty cannon. Gysbert dropped the knife and rushed to the window. + +"The fleet! The fleet!" he cried. "They have passed the Kirk-way, and +are making their way toward the city! Long live Admiral Boisot!" It was +indeed the doughty Admiral and his fearless Beggars of the Sea. Up till +that day he had been all but in despair, and had even written to the +Prince of Orange that the expedition must be abandoned if the wind did +not change. Then came the storm. The waters rose, and the Kirk-way, +already broken through, was soon levelled, and the flotilla passed in +triumph at midnight toward the village of Zoeterwoude. Not half a mile +distant from the farmhouse in which the children were incarcerated, the +fleet received its first challenge from the guarding Spanish sentinels, +and answered with such a roar of cannon as all but staggered the +astounded outposts. + +Then ensued a terrible battle, amid a scene perhaps the strangest in +which ever a battle was fought. From out the village of Zoeterwoude +flocked the Spanish, making their way in any kind of craft on which they +could lay hands. The fleet found itself progressing amid half-submerged +tree-tops and orchards, interspersed with chimney stacks and the roofs +of low houses. In this strange surrounding they grappled with the +Spanish enemy. All the advantage, however, was on their side, as they +had but to upset the frail crafts of the Spanish in order to create the +most utter rout in the ranks of the enemy. + +From the window the children watched the strange spectacle, the room +being frequently illuminated by the glare from the cannons. So near were +they, that even the shouts and cries reached them distinctly, and once +was borne to them across the waters, the "Song of the Beggars" uplifted +in a swelling chorus of triumphant voices: + + "Long live the Beggars! Wilt thou God's word cherish-- + Long live the Beggars! bold of heart and hand. + Long live the Beggars! God will not see thee perish. + Long live the Beggars! oh, noble Christian band!" + +Then the fleet swept on, and though the sound of shouting and +cannonading diminished but little, the battle passed out of the range of +the children's vision. + +When morning dawned over the waste of gray waters, it revealed a weird +and desolate scene outside the window. But inside, it lighted up a door +in which Gysbert had carved a hole long enough for him to reach his arm +through and unloose the bolts! + + + + +A CRASH IN THE NIGHT + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +A CRASH IN THE NIGHT + + +With a mighty effort Gysbert drew back the massive bolt and chain that +had so long kept them prisoners, pushed open the demolished door, and +they stood outside the room--free at last! + +"Go cautiously!" warned he. "We are not yet absolutely sure that +everyone is out of the house. But I have this knife, if we meet anyone, +and it comes to the worst. We won't try to go down stairs,--it would be +like diving into a tank!" And indeed the water had entered the house and +crept three-quarters of the way up the staircase, while bumping against +the ceiling of the rooms below, floated articles of Vrouw Hansleer's +cherished furniture. + +From room to room on the second floor the children crept, carefully +listening and waiting before they entered any door. But the house was +plainly deserted, except for themselves, and in a short time they +abandoned all caution, rollicking about in their new freedom like a +couple of three-year-olds! Theirs, they soon discovered, were the only +other bedrooms on that floor, and of course the only ones with barred +windows. Two other large apartments occupied the remaining space, one +evidently used as a storeroom, the other as a granary. Both had large, +open windows through which it would be easy to pass. + +For a long time they stood at one of these windows, watching the strange +sight outside. The water swept by from the ocean inward with a rapid +current, bearing on its surface every imaginable article that could +float. Boxes, barrels, furniture of every description, parts of houses, +here and there a struggling cow or pig, and not infrequently a great +haystack striking out majestically on its impromptu voyage. Once a +baby's cradle completely furnished, came in sight, and Jacqueline went +nearly wild with terror and excitement lest it might bear a precious +burden in its wrappings. But as it was swept nearer they saw that it was +empty, and both children breathed a sigh of relief. + +Meanwhile, Gysbert of the fertile brain had already concocted a plan of +escape. + +"I tell thee, Jacqueline, we shall get out of here in the easiest way +imaginable, if we can only fish out of this muddle the thing we need! +Sooner or later some small boat is bound to come along,--I know it, for +I saw one way off there just now, too far away to reach. First we will +try to forage up something to eat, if that is possible, for I am nearly +starved and thou must be also. Then we will each station ourselves at a +window,--I in this room and thou in the granary,--to watch for a boat. +In this way we can see from both directions. I will be prepared to swim +for it if it comes near enough, and then the matter will be simple." + +"Aye, but I advise thee to first wash thy face!" responded Jacqueline +gaily. "That plague-smitten countenance of thine would frighten away any +rescuers we might encounter!" And so, laughing, Gysbert followed her +advice, leaning out of the window to dabble his hands in the water that +now lapped within a foot of the sill. + +Breakfast was about as difficult a matter as any they had to undertake, +for everything eatable was downstairs, and it would be worse than +useless to attempt procuring anything from those water-soaked depths. +Beside, they had very little notion as to the whereabouts of the +kitchen. So they turned again to the windows to solve their problem, +counting it almost certain that eatables of some sort must in due time +go sailing by. Their watch was long but not in vain, for in an hour or +so, there hove in sight a loaf of bread floating so close that it was +within reach of a long stick which they used to secure their treasure. +Water-logged and unsavory as it was, they devoured it with unspeakable +relish, for was it not the first meal they had eaten in freedom this +many a weary day! + +Then came the watch for the craft that was to bear them away. But the +morning wore on, and though they strained their eyes in every direction, +nothing in the least available came into view. The water continued to +rise till it was only six inches below the window ledge, and should it +come much further, their position might be reckoned exceedingly +precarious. What they should do if the second floor became flooded +except climb out on the roof, they could not imagine. At last, well on +in the afternoon, Jacqueline called excitedly from her lookout: + +"Gysbert! Gysbert! Come here immediately! The very thing!" He was at her +side in an instant, and there, sure enough, coming rapidly down stream +was a little, shallow rowboat bobbing gaily along on the waves. In a +very few moments it would be abreast of them. + +"I'll have to swim for it," said Gysbert. "It's too far away to reach +with the pole!" Hastily flinging off some of his outer garments he +plunged out of the window. He reached the spot opposite the window not +an instant too soon; just as the stern of the boat swung by he grasped +it and climbed clumsily aboard. But to Jacqueline's surprise, he did not +instantly grasp the oars and start to pull back. Instead he put his +hands to his mouth, shouted, "No oars!" and in a twinkling was swept +from her sight. + +For a moment the situation did not seem very serious, and she waited +calmly, thinking he would soon pick up an oar or a pole and return to +her. But the time passed on and he did not come. The minutes grew into +half an hour, then dragged themselves out to a full hour. Still no +Gysbert! Jacqueline became almost distracted, and the situation +warranted every fear that thronged her terrified soul. Suppose the water +should rise and flood the room? Suppose the night should fall and add +its horrors to the prospect? Suppose Dirk Willumhoog should return and +snatch her away to unknown terrors? Suppose Gysbert should be swamped in +his little boat and drowned? Suppose?--But the accumulated burden of +these fears was too great to be borne. She fell on her knees by the +window ledge in an agony of prayer, but could only murmur: + +"Oh, God, God, God! Help!--" + +The afternoon waned and twilight drew down. The water was now within an +inch of the window ledge, but Jacqueline did not notice. She knelt with +her head buried in her arms, and neither saw nor heard anything. +Suddenly she was aroused from this half-stupor by a loud shout. She +raised her head and perceived to her delight, a bulky canal vessel, so +close that it looked as though it were about to sail right in the +window. Over the prow leaned Gysbert, and a man whose face she did not +recognize. + +"Oh, Jacqueline!" called her brother. "Didst thou think I had forsaken +thee? Well, I've had the amazing good fortune to be picked up by Herr +Captain Joris Fruytiers, and we came at once to get thee!" It took but a +moment to launch the little boat, and take Jacqueline on board. As she +crept into the boat, Gysbert noticed that the water was just beginning +to trickle over the window-sill into the room. + +"Jacqueline, we weren't a moment too soon, were we?" he remarked +gravely. When the girl had been established in comfortable quarters in +the roomy old canal-vessel, Gysbert told her the history of his +adventures since he had been swept from her sight. He had at first felt +perfectly confident of finding an oar or a pole floating along in the +general confusion, so he did not jump out and swim back as he might have +done. But the current bore him on and on, and nothing available did he +see in all his journey. Presently, as he was watching over one side of +the boat, he heard a hearty voice call out from the opposite direction: + +"Ship ahoy! Well, if that isn't a pretty small fry commanding that +bark!" and he recognized the gruff voice of his former acquaintance on +the road to Delft. Captain Fruytiers had lost no time in getting both +himself and his little boat aboard the big lugger which he said he was +taking to join the fleet of Boisot at Zwieten. Gysbert quickly told the +bluff captain his story and easily persuaded him to turn back and rescue +Jacqueline from her perilous position. + +This was all, except that from some passing vessel they had picked up +the news that the Fleet had made a most triumphant progress all day, +scattering the Spaniards right and left, as they poured from the +captured fortresses and fled along the road to the Hague. But Boisot had +now arrived before the strongest Spanish redoubt,--the fortress of +Lammen, less than five hundred rods from the city. Here he was obliged +to halt, for it swarmed with soldiers, bristled with artillery, and +defied the fleet to either capture it by force, or pass under its guns. +The Admiral hoped to carry the fort next morning, but he expected a +stiff battle. + +Joris Fruytiers was to join the rear of the flotilla and help to swell +its numbers. Plainly it was no situation for Jacqueline, in the midst of +these battle-thirsty Beggars of the Sea, and yet no safer place could be +found for her at present. So it was decided that she should remain on +board, but Gysbert's head was full of another plan for himself: + +"I _must_ get into the city somehow! It would be horrible, with relief +so near, to have that scoundrel, Dirk, lead in a Spanish regiment and +bring about an untimely surrender," he urged. "What is more, I have not +a minute to spare, for to-morrow night the deed is to be done. If I can +get in to-night it will be time enough to warn the burgomaster and +raise a defending corps to guard the breach. Stay thou here with good +Joris Fruytiers, and I will take the small boat and a pair of oars, and +row to the side where I can get through the scattering army, and into +Dirk Willumhoog's clever little entrance!" + +So Jacqueline acquiesced, and watched her brother row away with much +trepidation and many muttered prayers for his safety. Darkness soon shut +each boat from the sight of the other, but Gysbert paddled on keeping +clear of floating debris as best he could, and trying hard to ascertain +through the blackness just what was his location. Several times he found +himself far out of his course, and thus more than one valuable hour was +lost. At length, however, the water became too shallow to continue +rowing, and he disembarked, tying the boat to a tree. By several signs +he recognized the spot to be near where he had come out of the hidden +tunnel, several weeks ago. Of the Spanish army at this spot, there +remained but a few stragglers gathering up their possessions. + +Gysbert concluded that the safest place for him was the tree to which he +had tied his boat, and he was soon among its branches. From here he +watched the departure of the last Spaniard, and was just about to +descend, when one solitary sneaking shadow attracted his attention. In +the blackness of the night he could discover little of its intentions, +but as it moved off in the direction of the wall, he decided to get down +and follow it. The shadow glided along straight for the wall till it +finally disappeared behind the bushes that hid the secret opening. When +Gysbert arrived on the spot, there was not even a shadow to be seen. +Then a great light dawned on his mind. + +"Dirk Willumhoog!" he whispered. "What on earth am I to do now?" For a +moment he stood undecided. He dared not venture into the secret passage +while his enemy was there. And should Dirk not come back it was still +very unsafe, for he might be guarding the other entrance. But the matter +was soon to be solved in a way very different from any he could possibly +have imagined. + +While he stood considering his course, he was startled by a curious +rumbling sound that appeared to emanate from the very earth under his +feet. Then there were grinding and groaning noises, low and indistinct, +but terrifying beyond imagination. Gysbert's hair fairly rose on his +head, and something impelled him to beat the hastiest kind of a retreat. +Turning on his heel, he ran with all speed to his boat, unmoored it, +pushed it off, and rowed far out upon the black water. + +Suddenly there was a terrific sound like an explosion, then a crash that +shook the earth for miles around, and made Gysbert's little boat rock on +the waves till it all but over-turned completely. When the boy +recovered himself enough to realize what had happened, it did not take +him long to explain the dreadful sounds. Undermined by the stream so +long secretly eating at its base, the whole wall of Leyden between the +Cow Gate and the Tower of Burgundy had suddenly fallen in utter ruins! + + + + +THE DAWN OF OCTOBER THIRD + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +THE DAWN OF OCTOBER THIRD + + +Gysbert rowed away frantically from the scene of destruction. He had +not, for the moment, the slightest idea what direction he was taking, +but his mind was actively at work. The wall of Leyden had fallen in for +the space of nearly a quarter of a mile! If the Spaniards had the +faintest suspicion of this, he reasoned, they would flock immediately to +the scene, and make an easy and terrible entrance. There was no +defending the breach from the _inside_, for the brave, but +hunger-enfeebled corps of John Van der Does would be as nothing before +the fierce thousands of the Spanish army. To his mind there remained but +one course,--he must in some way get word to Admiral Boisot and his Sea +Beggars, and let them make an entrance into the city before the +Spaniards got wind of the disaster. + +With this end in view he looked about him, ascertained as nearly as he +could the position of the fleet, and commenced to row steadily in that +direction. As he drew near the Fortress of Lammen, however, he became +aware that something very strange was taking place. Wonderingly he +shipped his oars and turned about to watch the curious sight. Myriads of +tiny lights twinkled across the dark waste of waters. There was almost +no sound, but only a vague impression that something mysterious was +happening. After a time the lights formed themselves into a long +procession which seemed to flit steadily across the one remaining +causeway that led to the Hague. + +The boy sat breathless, eager, marvelling at this apparently +never-ending procession of lights, twinkling in single file over what +seemed the very face of the water. For a time he could find no +explanation for this singular spectacle, till all at once the truth +flashed on him. The Spaniards were retreating! Under cover of darkness, +they were silently sneaking away, fleeing panic-stricken from the +unknown terror of that hideous sound in the night,--fleeing like cowards +at the very moment when fortune had rendered their entrance to the +coveted city as easy as stepping over a log! + +Truly had God's providence operated in a marvellous manner! At the crash +of the falling wall, the terrified citizens of Leyden believed that the +Spaniards had at last effected their entrance in some horrible way. The +Spanish, on the other hand, felt certain that the citizens were making a +final, desperate sortie. And between this new danger on one side, and +the fierce Sea Beggars and the inward-surging ocean on the other, they +deemed retreat to be their only course, short of complete extermination, +and they fled away in the night. + +For two hours Gysbert sat in his little boat and watched the retreat. +In all the city of Leyden or its environments, he was the only soul that +night who was aware of the true state of affairs. At length the last few +straggling lights disappeared, and all was silence and darkness. When he +was convinced that a nearer approach was safe, he rowed slowly toward +Fort Lammen, reconnoitering carefully at almost every yard. But the +nearer he drew, the plainer it became that the fort was absolutely +deserted. Boldly landing at the foot of the battlement, he entered at +the cannon-defended gate, and found the enclosure empty. Colonel Borgia +and his troops had fled so hastily that even some of their time-honored +battle-flags were left behind! + +Gysbert was not content, however, with ascertaining only the condition +of Lammen. It was quite possible that the retreating army had halted at +Leyderdorp, the headquarters of Valdez, half a mile away. Now that he +was about it, he concluded that he might as well investigate there +before daylight. Again pushing off his boat, he paddled across the +shallow lake that now spread over what was ordinarily meadow-land. But +Leyderdorp was also deserted. Guided by a dying camp-fire, he reached a +small building which he guessed to be the abode of General Valdez. The +fire was built before the doorway, and over it was still cooking a pot +of "hodge-podge" or stewed meat and vegetables. Evidently it had been +intended for the breakfast of the general, but so speedy had been the +retreat that it was left behind in the hurry. + +"Whew!" ejaculated Gysbert, leaning over the pot. "This smells right +savory to a stomach that has had nothing to-day but half a water-soaked +loaf! Thanks, my cowardly friends! I'll partake of your bounty before I +do another thing!" Swinging the pot from its hook, and scarcely waiting +for it to cool, he helped himself to a large quantity doled out with a +great iron spoon, and ate as only a half-starved, healthy boy can eat, +till he could hold no more. + +Hunger satisfied, he proceeded to investigate the fleeing general's +quarters. By the dying fire-light he could discern several maps of +Leyden and the outlying districts pinned about the walls, and on the +table lay a scrap of paper hastily written upon. Gysbert took it out to +the fire, coaxed the embers into a blaze, and kneeling over the flames +tried to decipher the writing. It was in Latin, and very poor Latin at +that, and was plainly the General's farewell to the city. Gysbert had +been for over a year studying this language in school, so he was able to +construe its meaning fairly well. + +"_Vale civitas!_" he read. "_Valete castelli parvii, qui relicti estis +propter aquam et non per vim inimicorum!_" + +"'_Vale civitas!_'--That's 'Farewell city of Leyden!' I suppose. +'_Valete castelli parvii--_' What in the world can he mean by that! If I +had written such stuff in the Latin-school, the master would have boxed +my ears and kept me in from play for three days to write my +conjugations! What this doughty Spaniard _wished_ to remark was +probably--'Farewell miserable town! Thou art abandoned because of the +water, and not because of the strength of thy resistance!' Oh, ho! noble +Valdez, thy Latin is as poor as thy courage! I must keep this carefully +to hand to Admiral Boisot." + +But the dawn was already breaking, and Gysbert hurried back to Lammen, +carrying with him as a souvenir, the iron pot of hodge-podge. Early that +morning there was to be a combined assault on the fort by the Admiral's +fleet and the citizens of the town. The day before, Boisot had +despatched the last pigeon into the city, urging the starving populace +to aid him in one last desperate attack. With the first streaks of +daylight all was in readiness, and the Admiral prepared to push his +fleet under the very guns of cannon-bristling Lammen. But to his great +astonishment, as the flotilla drew nearer, not a sound came from within +the fort, not a vestige of life was to be seen anywhere. A sickening +fear assailed him that the Spaniards had entered the walls during the +night, which would explain the hideous sounds he had heard, and were +already sacking the city. + +Suddenly upon the summit of the breastwork appeared the figure of a +small boy. With one hand he waved his cap, and in the other he +brandished a great pot of hodge-podge. + +"Come on! Come on!" he shouted. "They've gone! They fled in the night! +Have no fear!" For a moment good Boisot could hardly believe his senses. +But his sailors lost no time, pushed the fleet to the very walls of the +fortress and found it to be true. Past the terrible Lammen they floated +in triumph. The watching, wondering citizens of the city opened the +gates with shouts of joy, and the conquering fleet sailed in. Leyden was +saved! + +In the twinkling of an eye were the canals and docks lined with throngs +of the starving populace. They grasped with famished delight the loaves +of bread thrown to them by the jolly Beggars of the Sea, and nearly +choked themselves to death trying to swallow huge mouthfuls without even +chewing them. + +Gysbert waited impatiently on the fortress till he saw the familiar +lugger of Joris Fruytiers come into view, and then ran down and climbed +aboard her. Words cannot describe the meeting between himself and +Jacqueline, who during that night of terror and uncertainty had given +him up for dead. They had much to tell each other, but little time to +give to it, for old Captain Joris demanded at once the whole history of +Gysbert's night, and was loud in the praise of his bravery. + +When the last vessel had entered the gates, stanch Admiral Boisot stood +on the deck of his flag-ship and made a speech to the assembled crowds. +He ended by saying that both the city and the Sea Beggars had much to +thank God for, and proposed that they all proceed to the great cathedral +of St. Peter, to render their praise to the God of Battles at once. Then +many remembered what in the excitement of the moment they had quite +forgotten--that the day was Sunday! With the Admiral at their head, they +marched in solid ranks down the Breede Straat, and entered the cathedral +reverently. + +"Shall we go?" questioned Gysbert of his sister. "Or dost thou think we +had best go straight home first?" + +"No," answered Jacqueline, "I think God's worship claims us before all +else!" and they entered the church with the rest. Only a suffering, +plague-stricken, lately besieged and recently delivered people could +have rendered such thanks as rose up to God's throne from St. Peter's +that day. There were sounds of suppressed sobbing all through the +congregation, and strong men's eyes grew moist when the clergyman read: + +"'Oh, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for His +wonderful works to the children of men! + +"'They cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of +their distresses! + +"'For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry with good +things! + +"'He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death. He brake +their bands in sunder! + +"'For He commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind which lifteth up the +waves! + +"'Oh, give thanks unto the Lord for He is good, for His mercy endureth +forever!'" + +Then the congregation rose, and every voice joined in their battle-hymn: + + "A mighty fortress is our God, + A bulwark never failing! + Our helper He amid the flood + Of mortal ills prevailing. + For still our ancient foe + Doth seek to work us woe, + His craft and power are great, + And armed with cruel hate,-- + On earth is not his equal!" + +But in the midst of the second verse, a general emotion checked the +volume of sound. One by one the voices failed, till at last the whole +vast multitude broke down and wept like children, out of the great +thankfulness for their deliverance. In their corner by a window, Gysbert +openly sobbed with his head on his arm, and Jacqueline stood with the +tears raining down her face, and the glad light of happiness in her +eyes. + +"Come," she said when the service was over. "We must hasten at once to +Vrouw Voorhaas! I have sad misgivings that all is not well with her." +They had, however, gone but a few steps when they heard a shout behind +them, and turning they beheld Dr. Pieter de Witt beckoning to them and +running as fast as he could come. Seizing Gysbert, he hugged him +distractedly, and he squeezed Jacqueline's hand till she almost screamed +aloud. + +"You blessed, blessed children!" he shouted. "I never supposed I should +see you again! Ah, this will indeed re-animate old Jan, and even Vrouw +Voorhaas may--but come!" And he rushed them along so fast that +Jacqueline could hardly find breath in which to ask after the sick +woman. + +"She is very, very low!" panted De Witt. "We hardly expect her to live +through the day, but the sight of you two may make some difference,--I +cannot tell! Hurry, hurry!" They reached Belfry Lane, stopped a moment +to regain breath, and all three crept upstairs as softly as possible. +The opened door revealed a strange sight to their astonished gaze. Jan +stood huddled in a corner, eyes wide with amazement, apprehension, and +doubt. Vrouw Voorhaas, withered and shrunken by her long illness, half +sat up in her bed looking more like a ghost than a living being. But +most astonishing of all, over her leaned a stranger, a tall, gaunt man +clad in the uniform of the Beggars of the Sea. He bent over the woman, +clasping her hand and questioning her anxiously in a low voice. Her +face was lined with despair, and her words, though faint, were audible +to the listeners at the door: + +"Gone!--gone!--not here!--" Suddenly she raised her head and saw the +newcomers. With a great happy cry she pointed to them: + +"They are here! they are safe!--I have fulfilled my duty,--praise God!" +and she fell back unconscious on the pillow. + + + + +THE SECRET OUT + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +THE SECRET OUT + + +Dr. De Witt flew to Vrouw Voorhaas's assistance, pushing the stranger +unceremoniously aside in his haste. For a moment no one spoke while he +busied himself over the sick woman. Then he turned to the intruder, +sternly inquiring: + +"Who art thou, and why art thou here?" The man pulled off his cap +ornamented with the Beggar's crescent, and drew himself up to face the +physician. + +"I am Dr. Cornellisen," he said, "and I have come to claim my children!" + +Struck dumb with amazement and incredulity, not a soul moved. Then De +Witt advanced a step and stuttered: + +"But--b-b-but--Dr. Cornellisen is dead!" + +"No, he is not dead!" answered the stranger. "He never died--but there +was excellent reason why he should be considered so. Come, children! +will you not kiss your father?" And he held out his arms to the two. +Then the spell was broken. Doubting no longer, Jacqueline and Gysbert +rushed into his embrace, while Jan blubbered in his joy like a great +baby, and Dr. de Witt tore around the room, alternately laughing and +crying, and trying to shake hands with Jan. The confusion lasted many +minutes, during which time Vrouw Voorhaas came unassisted to her senses, +and smiled understandingly on the scene. + +"Oh, my boy and girl!" said the father at last. "God has brought us +through many strange trials and vicissitudes to the happiness of this +meeting! But now, if it pleases Him, we shall never part again." + +"But father," answered Jacqueline, "we can scarcely yet realize that +thou art our father, so much dost thou seem like one risen from the +dead! Wilt thou not tell us the whole story?" + +"I will indeed, daughter, and right here and now, since it must seem +passing strange to you all." They sat down to listen breathlessly, while +Dr. Cornellisen began his story. As the tale unfolded, it revealed many +things to them that had long been hidden in mystery. + +"Jacqueline here must remember," he commenced, "the time when I +mysteriously disappeared six year ago. And so must thou, Dr. de Witt, +for now I recognize thy face, and thank thee for thy devotion to me and +mine. Well, as you all know, the young Count de Buren was cunningly +enticed away from the University of Louvain by King Philip's orders, to +be taken to Spain and either killed outright, or kept as a hostage. He +was only a boy of thirteen, and they flattered and cajoled him with fine +promises. Count de Chassy had been sent from Spain with a retinue, +under the pretext of escorting the young Count on a visit to His Majesty +Philip II. + +"The boy was under my special care, and I counselled him strongly not to +accept these doubtful honors. But the child was uncontrollable in his +desire to have his own way, and before I could get word to the Prince of +Orange, the start was made. Young De Buren was to travel in state, +though secretly. He had a retinue of two pages, two valets, a cook and +an accountant, and moreover insisted that I should go with him as a +personal companion. I was nothing loath to do so, for I thought I might +thus be able to shield him from harm. My presence, however, was not +relished by the Spanish envoys, but at first they thought it best not to +oppose the boy's wish. + +"We reached the borders of Spain, and camped one night in a little +mountain village. As the evening was fine, I determined to take a short +stroll before retiring. On reaching a lonely spot, I was set upon by a +masked man, overpowered, stabbed in the ribs, dragged into the bushes +and left for dead. I know now that my assailant was Dirk Willumhoog, and +that he had been hired to kill me!" At this familiar name the children +gasped. + +"Next morning the calvacade passed on without me, telling the boy I had +left in the night to return to Louvain. But Dirk's thrust had not quite +reached its mark! I was picked up next day by some kind-hearted +peasants, carefully tended for weeks, and at last was as well as ever. I +was of course, perfectly unknown to them and remained so. In the +meantime I had decided on a plan. I communicated with Vrouw Voorhaas, +told her to sell the house, take you children and go to live in Leyden. +She was to carefully conceal the fact that I was alive, and bring you +children up in her good care till I should return. I knew that you would +be more than safe in her excellent keeping, but I never dreamed that my +term of absence would be so long. + +"At the same time I wrote to the Prince of Orange, who was almost +distracted for the safety of his son. I told him what had happened, and +also that I intended to disguise myself as a Dutch malcontent or Glipper +under the name of Dr. Leonidus Graafzoon, and obtain entrance to the +court of Spain. There I could remain for a time, and watch over the +fortunes of the young boy, so cruelly enticed into the midst of his +father's enemies. The Prince wrote back that by so doing I would earn +his eternal gratitude, and procured me letters of introduction to the +Spanish court, under my assumed name. + +"There I remained for five years, carefully guarding the safety of the +count. At the end of that time, however, it became apparent that they +contemplated no harm toward young De Buren. He was systematically +well-treated, carefully educated, and seemed rather to like his new +surroundings than otherwise. I had of course, been most anxious to be +reunited with my family, and begged the Prince to free me from my duties +and allow me to join you. He gave a hearty and gracious consent, and I +began my preparations to return to Leyden when the news of the siege +reached me, and I knew that great and imminent danger threatened you. I +left Spain, as I learned later, not a day too soon for my old enemy Dirk +Willumhoog had in some way discovered my secret, unearthed all my past +history, and was hot upon a little scheme of his own. + +"Vrouw Voorhaas sent me word,--it was the last I heard from her,--that a +man whom she described as Dirk, called on her one day when you both were +out, informed her that he knew her secret and who you children were and +all about me. Then he tried to bribe her to give you up to him, offering +a good round sum in gold. When she refused he threatened to get +possession of you in some other way. She was wild with anxiety for your +safety, and begged me to hasten to Leyden without delay. But by the time +I reached Holland the siege was in full progress, and all thought of +access to the city was hopeless. Having thus a double reason for serving +the city, I went to Zeeland and joined the Sea Beggars. I fought all the +way to Leyden on the '_Ark of Delft_,' and have been frequently almost +prostrated by the alternations of hope and despair. But I am here, we +are reunited,--and now you know my story!" + +"Yes," said Jacqueline with a long-drawn breath, "but I still do not see +why Dirk wished to get possession of Gysbert and myself." + +"Why! dost thou not comprehend!--" interrupted the boy. "He wanted to +hold us for a ransom, well knowing father would pay any price to have us +back. Dost thou not remember how we overheard him telling Vrouw +Hansleer that we would surely mean more money to them? And that is why +they were so careful of us too!" + +"Yes," said Dr. Cornellisen, "that is what he wanted with you. But now I +must hear your story too. How came Vrouw Voorhaas to think she had lost +you?" The children recounted their adventures, first one and then the +other interrupting in a breathless, excited fashion. At last Gysbert +ended with the recital of the singular adventure of the night before, +and the terrible falling of the wall, just after Dirk Willumhoog had +entered the breach. + +"It doubtless became his tomb," remarked Dr. Cornellisen thoughtfully, +"and a terrible ending indeed,--too terrible to linger over!" + +"No, no!" interrupted old Jan eagerly. "It was but just,--just! Was he +not about to betray the city for filthy Spanish gold, and does it not +fulfil every word of that verse from the Scriptures,--'In the snare +which the wicked hath set is his own foot taken!'" + +"The Bible says also,--'Judge not that ye be not judged!'" said Dr. +Cornellisen quietly. "So we will leave Dirk Willumhoog forever, as he +has gone to face his sentence in a higher court than any human one." + +Presently Dr. de Witt made a sign to old Jan, and the two crept quietly +out together, leaving the happy family alone for a while in their new +joy of glad reunion. + + + + +THE GREAT DAY + + + + +CHAPTER XX + +THE GREAT DAY + + +Four months had passed since the lifting of the great siege of Leyden. +No sooner had the Spaniards effected their retreat than the gales +shifted, the wind changed to the east, the sea retreated and left the +waters to drain from the sodden, half-drowned fields. In due time the +work of reconstructing the dykes commenced, and the exhausted city once +more lifted up its head, smiling to meet its renewal of life. + +No one rejoiced more over the wonderful victory than did the Prince of +Orange. And to express his gratitude to the citizens for their enduring +heroism during all the long weary months, he determined to present the +city with a gift. This gift was one more highly valued by the Dutch than +anything else it was in his power to bestow, for it was neither more +nor less than a _University_. + +Accordingly, the University of Leyden, destined in after years to be so +illustrious, was endowed with a rich sum of money, and provided with +professors and instructors, the most learned and distinguished in all +the Netherlands. Among these was Dr. Cornellisen whose valuable personal +services the Prince was never weary of praising. William of Orange +declared that a professorship was all too poor a reward for such +devotion, but the doctor would accept of no other, vowing that his +ambition was completely satisfied in being connected with such a +wonderful institution of learning. + +On the fifth of February, 1575, all preparations being completed, the +solemn ceremony of consecrating the University was to take place. It was +to be a great day, and the whole city was on tip-toe of expectation in +consequence. The weather was perfect, and even though so early in the +year, the atmosphere had a spring-like flavor. The canals were packed +with gay barges, houses flaunted in bunting and floral decorations, and +a festive air was prevalent in every quarter of the city. At seven +o'clock in the morning there was a solemn ceremony of consecration in +the great church of St. Peter. Jacqueline and Gysbert could not but +think of another scene in this same church only four months before,--but +how different! There was no weeping now! All the new professors filed in +and took their places in the chancel, looking very grand and imposing in +their flowing robes and decorations. + +"Look, look, Vrouw Voorhaas! there is father!" whispered Gysbert, +pulling her sleeve. And the faithful woman, now quite recovered from her +long illness, nodded and smiled approvingly. The impressive service +continued, ending with the singing of the famous hymn,--"A Mighty +Fortress Is Our God!" But this time the joyful anthem was interrupted by +no sobs of overwrought emotion, as on that memorable Sunday, when +Leyden was saved. + +Then came a gorgeous procession. Up the wide Breede Straat it moved +slowly and majestically under great triumphal arches and over pavements +strewn with flowers. First there was a grand military escort in which +Adrian Van der Werf, the brave and loyal burgomaster rode at the head of +his company of burgher guards. This was followed by glittering chariots +and wonderfully arrayed figures representing Justice, Peace the four +Gospels, and many mythological and allegorical characters. But in the +midst of these there was a little break, and then appeared, riding on a +milk-white horse a fair young girl. Her beautiful golden hair floated +all about her, she was clothed in a long trailing robe of white silk, +and on one shoulder sat a glistening pigeon, fastened to her by a small +golden chain. She represented _Medicine_, and carried a garland of +healing herbs in one hand. As she passed through the crowds a great +cry went up,--"Jacqueline! Jacqueline of the Carrier Pigeons!" for all +recognized her as the sweet, unselfish girl who had done and risked so +much in the terrible days of the plague and siege, and not a few were +also acquainted with the remarkable story of her father's return. + +It was a proud moment in her life, but she bore herself with the ease of +entire unconsciousness, for her thoughts were on the honor of the +University, and not on herself. Last in the procession came the +professors and instructors, and the whole passed through every prominent +street of the city till it came to the cloister of Saint Barbara, the +place prepared for the new University. Here there was a long address by +the Reverend Casper Kolhas, orator of the day, and later on a +magnificent banquet. It was nightfall before all was over, and the tired +participants returned to their various homes. + +In a fine, roomy house on the Marendorfstrasse, the new quarters of the +Cornellisen family, Gysbert and Jacqueline waited to bid their father +good-night. When his social duties at last permitted him to come to the +children, he entered the room and they gathered about him to talk it all +over before going to bed. + +"I am proud of my children!" said Dr. Cornellisen. "Proud of thee, +Jacqueline, because thou hast borne thyself with so much grace and +dignity during a difficult day. Proud of thee, Gysbert, because thou +didst not complain of having no prominent part in the parade, although +thy services to the city during the siege were really most praiseworthy. +And now I am going to tell thee that the Prince wished me to allow thee +to ride on a float all by thyself, dressed as thou wert on the morning +of October third, with the pot of hodge-podge at thy side!" Gysbert's +eyes opened wide at this. + +"But I would not permit it," went on his father. "Thou art yet too young +to take so prominent a part, and I did not think it best for thee. But +to make up for this, I am going to allow thee, in addition to studying +in the University, to take a course in art under the very finest master +that can be procured. Does that please thee, son?" + +"Father, father!" answered the boy, and his voice trembled with the +intensity of his feeling, "I know naught in all this world that would +please me so much!" + +"And as for thee, Jacqueline," said the doctor turning to her, "since +thou hast shown thyself so proficient in the healing art,--and Dr. de +Witt tells me thou didst do wonders during the plague,--I shall give +thee a special course under my own tuition, in the University. Thou +mayst not ever become a titled physician, that not being exactly a +woman's work, but at least thou shalt have all the understanding of one. +Daughter, I trust that makes thee happy." Jacqueline did not answer in +words, but she put her arms about his neck, and laid her soft cheek +against his own, and her father understood. + +"And now let us call in Vrouw Voorhaas and Jan," cried Gysbert, "and +tell them the good news!" Vrouw Voorhaas expressed her approval in her +own quiet way, and Jan who now occupied a trusted position in the +household shouted hurrah like a boy! In the midst of this rejoicing, Dr. +de Witt dropped in on his way home from the burgomaster's. + +"And let me tell you all something else," he added when he had been +informed of the children's good fortune. "Mynheer Van der Werf has been +commissioned by the Prince, in the name of the city, to buy all thy +carrier-pigeons, Juffrouw Jacqueline, that were used during the siege, +preserve them carefully while they live, and have them stuffed and +placed in the Leyden Museum when they die. Likewise he undertakes to buy +thy hodge-podge pot, Gysbert, for a good round sum, and place that also +in the Museum. So I suppose you will both have to make up your minds to +part with these cherished possessions." + +"I'm only too glad to part with mine," said Gysbert, "for I shall be +proud to go and look at that old iron pot in its honored place in the +Museum, and think how I found it that horrible night, and how good the +Spanish hodge-podge tasted that I got out of it!" + +"And I," said Jacqueline, "will give up my pigeons since the Prince +wishes it, but I think I will keep 'William of Orange' for myself. He +rode with me in the procession to-day, and I love him both for the name +he bears, and the part he played in those dreadful days. No, I am sure I +cannot part with my faithful 'William of Orange'!" + + * * * * * + +But the future was to hold one more _great day_ for the Cornellisen +family, at which we must have one glimpse before we leave them. + +Five years more had passed, and again it was October third, the +anniversary of the great Relief of Leyden. The day was always set apart +as one of feasting and general thanksgiving, and a holiday air pervaded +the city. But in the Cornellisen home were preparations of quite another +character,--for it was the wedding day of Jacqueline. Grown into a fair +and noble womanhood was this same Jacqueline of splendid promise, who +had so bravely discharged what seemed to her the highest duty, in the +days of the memorable siege. She was going to marry loyal, true-hearted +Pieter de Witt who had learned to love her in the terrible days when +they tended the starving and plague-stricken together. Patiently had he +waited and watched her grow to be a sweet, unselfish woman. Then he had +courted and won her, and to-night she stood ready to become his wife. + +No prettier bride could have possibly been imagined than Jacqueline as +she stood robed in her wedding-garments. Vrouw Voorhaas hovered over her +lovingly, giving the last tender, anxious touches to the array of her +beloved charge. Presently the door opened, and Gysbert laughingly +demanded admission,--Gysbert no longer a little lad of fourteen, but a +tall fine youth of nineteen. He entered at his sister's bidding, and +surveyed her admiringly from top to toe. + +"Thou art perfect, my Jacqueline, but no one knows how I hate to part +with thee, even to Pieter whom I do certainly love." + +"But thou art not parting with me, Gysbert. Are we not going to stay +right here with thee and father? I shall be with thee as much as ever!" + +"Well, I suppose that is true. After all, I am only gaining a brother by +this! But dost thou remember, Jacqueline, how we used to talk over our +ambitions up there on Hengist Hill? I am in a fair way to gain mine, for +what dost thou think!--Karel Van Mander told father that I bid fair to +become a great artist if I persevere, and he is the greatest himself, +in the Netherlands, at the present time! And then the Prince of Orange +admired and purchased my last picture, and has promised to hang it in +his salon in the _Prinsenhof_. But what of _thy_ great ambition, +sister?" + +"Ah!" she answered laughingly. "I have studied medicine till I have it +at my finger ends. I am the daughter of one physician, and am about to +become the wife of another! What more can I ask? I am content, Gysbert!" + +"But is it not splendid," said the boy, "that the Prince is to be +present at the wedding! Thou art much honored, Jacqueline, and I am wild +to see him again. He is still my hero and ideal!" + +"Thou hast not yet seen the present he sent," added Jacqueline. "It came +but a short time ago. Look!" She held out her arm and exhibited a +beautiful bracelet set with many pearls. In the center was a small gold +plate on which was engraved: + + "To Jacqueline of the Carrier Pigeons + + "from + + "William of Orange-Nassau, + + "In memory of faithful services in Leyden, + + "1574." + +"I prize this more than aught else I received!" she said softly. + +Then in came Jan, brave in wedding finery, to have a last intimate view +of his Jacqueline. Round and round her he walked, speechless with +admiration, and could only smile and chuckle, and rub his hands, and +stroke her dainty garments with half-shy, half-reverent touches. Last of +all came her father in his scholarly robes of the University, and took +her in his arms for a final caress. + +"Thou art sweet and fair, my darling!" he whispered. "Be as good a wife +to Pieter as thou hast been ever a daughter to me, and Heaven itself +could ask no more! But come! the Prince and his suite have arrived, the +guests are all assembled, and thy future husband waits to claim thee!" + +And so, to the sound of merry wedding music, we say farewell to +Jacqueline of the Carrier Pigeons! + +THE END + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Jacqueline of the Carrier Pigeons, by +Augusta Huiell Seaman + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 57466 *** |