Jaqueline had welcomed a third of her white-winged birds to her tower.
The pigeon bore a letter dictated by Admiral Boisot, though she
recognised the handwriting of Captain Van der Elst. It stated that the
fleet led by an enormous vessel, the "Ark of Delft," with shot-proof
bulwarks, and moved by paddle-wheels turned by a crank, had reached the
Land-Scheiding, and that he hoped, ere long, the large dyke would be
broken through and that the way would be opened to the very walls of the
city. The Prince also sent a message urging the citizens yet longer to
hold out, reminding them that with Leyden all Holland must also perish.
This letter for a time greatly encouraged the suffering garrison; those
who understood the nature of the undertaking were aware that much
depended on the direction of the wind. An easterly gale was calculated
to blow back the waters and prevent their rising, while one from the
south or west would force them on towards the city. The wind was now
blowing from the cast and the tides were at their lowest, so that the
waters were making but slow progress. Still the loyal-hearted among the
population, trusting to their Prince's promises, were assured that if it
was in the power of human help they would in time be relieved. The
"Glippers," however, who professed to know the country well, ridiculed
the desperate project. Those in the town taunted their fellow-citizens,
frequently crying out, "Go up to the tower and tell us if you can see
the ocean coming over the dry land to our relief." Day after day they
did go up, hoping, praying, fearing, and at last almost despairing of
relief from God or man. Letters were also daily received from those
with Valdez urging the inhabitants to spare themselves further
suffering. Young Albert and Berthold had made themselves especially
useful by going round the ramparts, not once or twice a day, but many
times during the day and night, at all hours, so that they might not
only see that the sentinels were keeping a vigilant watch, but that they
might be able to discover treachery should any have been attempted.
They had one evening gone to the top of Hengist's Tower, a spot they
were especially fond of visiting at all hours of the day and night, when
they saw the hitherto dark sky to the southward suddenly illumined by
bright flashes of light following one another in rapid succession.
"Hark, I can hear the roar of guns," exclaimed Berthold. They listened,
there was no doubt about it. The flashes continued, now fires blazed up
in various directions. There was more firing, not always in the same
place, the tide of battle was evidently moving on. The lads were at
length joined by several citizens.
"The Sea Beggars are coming!" shouted Albert, unwittingly, "they are
fighting their way towards us."
"We must not be too sanguine," observed one of the citizens. "There may
be fighting taking place, but we cannot tell who is gaining the victory.
It may be that the Spaniards are driving back our friends."
"I am very sure that they are not," cried Albert. "Admiral Boisot and
his gallant followers are victorious--of that I am certain."
"Count Louis and his whole army were cut to pieces not long ago,"
remarked this citizen, in a melancholy tone. The mystery was not solved
that night, and the whole of the next day went by without any
information having been received of what had taken place.
The following night the two lads were passing along the top of the wall
in the neighbourhood of the Cowgate, looking southward, when they caught
sight of the figure of a person close below them who had suddenly come
into view.
"Send me down a rope and be quick about it, or I may be caught by the
Spaniards, for they are close upon me," he exclaimed.
"They will scarcely venture within range of our guns," said Berthold.
"But we will haul you up as soon as we can get a rope."
"I know where to find one not far off," said Albert, and he hurried
away, while Berthold summoned two or three of the guard to the
assistance of the stranger. Albert quickly returned with a rope of
sufficient length and strength. Scarcely was it lowered when the
stranger hauled himself up with the agility of a monkey.
"Don't you remember me?" he said, looking at Berthold. "I am Hans
Bosch, you know that you can trust me; I have accompanied Captain Van
der Elst, and he will be up here before long. I have led the Spanish
guard a pretty dance to draw off their attention, that he might the more
easily pass by them. I don't think they are likely to have caught him,
though if he does not appear soon I must go back again. I know part of
his message, which I may give if he does not appear, but I hope that he
will deliver it himself."
This news so greatly excited Berthold and Albert that they were much
inclined to set out with Hans to look for their friend, but he advised
them to do nothing of the sort.
"They might as well try to catch a Will-o'-the-Wisp as me," he said,
"but they would trap you in a moment. No, no; if I go, I go alone."
At length, to their great joy, another figure was seen.
"Quick! quick! That's him!" exclaimed Hans. "That's the captain.
Quick! quick! The chances are he has a dozen Spaniards at his heels!"
The rope was lowered, and the captain was quickly hauled up to to the
top of the wall. He shook Albert and Berthold warmly by the hand.
"I must lose no time," he said, "in reporting to the burgomaster and
commandant the steps the Prince has taken for the relief of the city.
You are undoubtedly eager to hear, but I must reserve my report for your
ciders."
The two lads hastened on with their friend, and fortunately found the
burgomaster in consultation with the commandant. The boys stood eagerly
listening while the captain delivered his message.
"You heard that the admiral had received directions from the Prince to
take possession of the Land-Scheiding. This was done two nights ago.
But a few Spaniards were found stationed on the dyke, and they were
quickly driven off when we fortified ourselves upon it. In the morning
the enemy endeavoured to recover the lost ground, and attacked us in
considerable force, but we drove them back, they leaving hundreds of
dead on the field. No time was lost in breaking through the dyke in
several places. The water rushing on, the fleet sailed through the
gaps; but, to our disappointment, we found another dyke, that of the
Greenway, three quarters of a mile further on, rising at least a foot
above the waters. This had also been left ill-protected, and our
admiral promptly attacking it, took possession, and levelling it in many
places, brought the flotilla over its ruins. Soon afterwards, however,
the further progress of the fleet was arrested by the shallowness of the
water; but our admiral, knowing the anxiety you must be feeling,
dispatched me to inform you of this, and to assure you that he waits but
the rising of the tide and a favourable wind to bring you succour."
The news was thus far satisfactory, and the captain was warmly thanked
for bringing it, but that he received his reward when at the
burgomaster's invitation he accompanied him home, there could be little
doubt.
The wind, however, still blew from the east, and the inhabitants well
knew that as long as it came from that quarter they must look in vain
for the wished-for ocean to reach their walls.
Day after day the siege continued; the inhabitants were suffering not
only from famine, but from pestilence, produced by the scantiness of
their food. Hapless infants were starved to death, mothers dropped dead
in the streets with their dead children in their arms, and in many a
house the watchmen in their rounds found whole families of corpses,
father, mother, and children, lying side by side, struck down by
pestilence. Bread, malt cake, and horse-flesh had entirely disappeared.
A small number of cows had been kept as long as possible for their
milk, but a few of these were killed from day to day, and distributed in
minute proportions, scarcely, however, sufficient to support life among
the famishing population, while their hides chopped and boiled were
greedily devoured. Green leaves were stripped from the trees, every
living herb was converted into human food; dogs and rats were caught and
eaten. Still, although papers offering a free pardon were sent into the
city, the inhabitants spurned them, and refused to listen to treacherous
promises of the foe.
The commandant was anxious to send a trusty messenger to the Prince, and
while pointing out the urgent necessity for relief, promising to resist
to the last.
"Will you return, Captain Van der Elst?" he asked of Karl, who was in
attendance on him. "I dare not order any man on so desperate an
undertaking, for the Spaniards keep a vigilant watch, and will have no
mercy on any one whom they capture."
"If it were to certain death, I would go," answered Karl. "And I place
my services at your disposal. At the same time the danger is not so
great as you suppose. Several of the forts in the lower ground have
been flooded, and the trenches filled with water, so that the Spaniards
have been compelled to evacuate them, and thus to those who are
acquainted with their position the way is far more open than it has been
heretofore, while numerous sentries at the outposts have been
withdrawn."
"To-night be prepared to set out; a skiff shall be in readiness having
served at sea, you know well how to manage her," answered the
commandant.
Karl took his leave, and repaired to the house of the burgomaster to
receive any message he might desire to send. He might have had another
motive. He found the chief magistrate and his daughter seated alone.
Though suffering from the severe privation she had undergone in common
with the rest of the population, if possible the Lily looked more lovely
than ever. She smiled as the young soldier entered, but her lip
trembled on hearing of the duty he had undertaken, yet not a word did
she utter to dissuade him from it.
"My prayers will be offered that Heaven protect you," she murmured, in a
low voice as he approached her, while the burgomaster was writing some
brief notes.
"I trust that I may return, perhaps ere many hours are over, on board
the fleet to bring you succour," he answered. "You will know of our
approach, for our guns will thunder against the fortresses of the enemy
when the waters rise sufficiently to enable us to advance."
"The wind still blows from the cast and keeps back the fleet," she
observed.
"But the wind may ere long change, and depend upon it our brave admiral
and his `Sea Beggars' will not linger the moment there is sufficient
water to float their ships," said Karl, in an encouraging tone. When
her eyes were lifted towards his countenance, their expression was very
different to that with which she had regarded the baron. With natural
reluctance Karl, having received his dispatches, at length rose to take
leave and prepare for his enterprise. As there were traitors within the
gates he kept all his arrangements secret. They were known only to his
two young friends and Hans Bosch, who undertook to accompany him. Not
till late on the following day was it even known that he had set out
when the burgomaster announced that he had despatched another messenger
to entreat their friends to hasten to their relief. Desperate as had
been the state of matters in the besieged city, they hourly became
worse. Leyden, indeed, appeared to be at its last gasp. The noble
burgomaster maintained his heroic bearing, ever moving about to
encourage the wavering and to revive the drooping spirits of the loyal;
but a trial greater than any he had yet had to endure was in store for
him.
Jaqueline had from the first employed herself in going among the sick
and suffering, and carrying such relief as she was able to afford, and
consoling the afflicted ones from that Book in which true comfort alone
can be found. In these active duties she found her chief solace. Not
only was she enduring physical suffering! but no certain tidings had
been received of Captain Van der Elst, and reports were current that he
had been captured by the Spaniards, it being well known that if such was
the case a cruel death must have been his fate. One evening the Lily
was returning to her home from one of her expeditions of mercy, attended
by Margaret, an old and faithful servant, who was her constant
companion. As darkness was already overspreading the city, she hurried
on, unwilling to be out so late at night, when she was accosted by a
poor woman, who, with a piteous tale, too likely to be true, entreated
that she would visit her perishing family. Without hesitation she
desired Margaret to return home and obtain such scanty provisions as
remained, while she accompanied the suppliant. Margaret, having
collected a small amount of food, hurried back to rejoin her mistress at
the address given by the woman who had spoken to her, but no living
beings were in the house; three corpses alone lay on the floor.
Margaret, without a moment's loss of time, went to all the neighbouring
houses, inquiring for the Vrouw Jaqueline, but no one had seen her.
Almost frantic she hurried through the streets of the city, but her
search was fruitless. At last she went back with the overwhelming
intelligence, which she entreated Berthold to break to his uncle. The
burgomaster, who had hitherto held out so bravely, for a moment seemed
stunned, but quickly recovering himself he directed Berthold to send all
the servants of the house to him, but no one was able to afford the
slightest information to account for Jaqueline's disappearance.
"I would lay my life that the Baron Van Arenberg has had something to do
with it," exclaimed Berthold. "If you will let me I will get Albert and
we will go to his house. We shall soon judge by the way he receives the
intelligence whether he knows anything about the matter." Berthold
received the leave he requested, while the burgomaster himself forthwith
sent a band of watchmen round in all directions through the town in
search of Jaqueline, while he called at numerous houses and visited all
the friends on whom he could rely to obtain their assistance in the
search. The first to make their appearance at his house were Albert and
Berthold.
"We were right," they exclaimed. "The baron's servants know nothing of
him; he left home at an early hour this afternoon, and has not since
returned. Most of his domestics, who were `Glippers,' have long ago
made their escape. The watchmen in the course of the night came in with
equally unsatisfactory reports--not a trace of the Vrouw Jaqueline had
been discovered."
"May God protect my child," exclaimed the burgomaster, bowing his head.
"She is beyond human aid."
No one would have believed from his appearance the next morning, when he
left his home to attend to his magisterial duties, that a deep domestic
sorrow had overtaken him. He started as he quitted his door, for there,
on the very threshold, lay a dead body, thus placed as if to reproach
him for his stern determination in holding out.
"We shall all soon be like him who lies there," cried many voices.
"It were better to have yielded than have been compelled to endure such
suffering," shouted others.
Unheeding them, the burgomaster proceeded to a triangular space in the
centre of the town, into which many of the principal streets opened, and
in which stood the church of Saint Pancras, two ancient lime trees
growing on either side of the entrance now stripped bare of leaves by
the famishing people. Ascending the steps, Adrian Van der Werf stopped
while he regarded the numberless angry faces turned towards him. For a
moment he stood there, his figure tall and imposing, his visage dark and
haggard, his eye yet tranquil and commanding, and then waving his
broad-brimmed hat for silence, he exclaimed, "What would you, my
friends? Why do you murmur that we do not break our vows and surrender
our city to the Spaniards, a fate more horrible than the agony which she
now endures? I tell you I have made a vow to hold the city, and may God
give me strength to keep it. I can die but once, whether by your hands,
by the enemy's, or by the hand of God. My own fate is indifferent to
me, not so that of the city entrusted to our care. I know that we shall
soon starve, but starvation is preferable to the dishonoured death which
is the only alternative. Your menaces move me not. My life is at your
disposal. Here is my sword, plunge it into my breast and divide my
flesh among you, take my body to appease your hunger, but expect no
surrender as long as I remain alive."
The words of the brave burgomaster inspired a new courage in the hearts
of those who heard him. Shouts of applause and defiance rose from the
famishing, but enthusiastic crowd, they hurried to the ramparts to hurl
renewed defiance at the enemy.
"Ye call us rat-eaters and dog-eaters," they cried; "so long as ye hear
a dog bark or a cat mew within the walls ye may know that the city holds
out; when the last hour has come, we will with our own hands set fire to
the houses and perish in the flames rather than suffer our homes to be
polluted and our liberties to be crushed."