After the first cry of rage and grief at the discovery of the
abduction of Maria van Duyk, there was a moment's silence. Rupert
broke it, laying his hand on the shoulder of Van Duyk, who had
dropped despairingly into a chair.
"We will find her," he said, "wherever she be. Let us lose no
moments in sorrow. Call up the burgomaster, or whoever leads the
burghers, and let us consult."
In another minute or two four of the principal magistrates of Dort
had joined the party, and Van Duyk told them what had happened.
"I told her to lock the door, and not to open until she heard my
voice. Doubtless she was standing there listening to the strife
without, when the men burst in at the window, and seized her
before, in her surprise and terror, she had time to unlock the
door. Now what is to be done to recover her? They have, no doubt,
carried her off by boat, for they could not pass through the
landward gate of the town.
"Will you order two fast boats, to be manned by strong parties of
rowers, with well-armed men? One had better go up the river, one
down; for we know not in which direction they will take their
flight.
"What think you, Master Holliday?"
"I think that a boat had better go either way, without a moment's
loss of time," Rupert said. "But I doubt whether either will find
them. But send the boats without a moment's delay, with orders to
overhaul and search every craft they overtake."
The magistrates at once called in an officer of the guard, and gave
him the necessary instructions.
"And why do you not think that either up or down the river they
will overtake them?" Van Duyk asked Rupert, as the officer left the
room.
"Because they will know that a fleet horseman will pass them; and
that by morning the people at the towns on the banks will all be on
the lookout for them. So, having sent off the boats, I should now
send off horsemen up and down the river, with a letter from you,
sirs, to the authorities at all the towns, begging them to stop and
search every boat."
Again the necessary orders were given.
"It was right to take these steps," Rupert said, "for they may be
greater fools than I take them to be; but I think that they have
done one of two things. They have gone either up or down the river
to some place, probably not far away, where horses are in
readiness, or--or, they may be still in the town."
"Still in the town!"
"Yes," Rupert said; "they will know that we should pursue them up
and down the river; that we should scour the country round; but
they may think that we should not suspect that she is still here.
There must be lots of secure hiding places in an old town like
this; and they may well think it safer to keep her hidden here
until they force her into marriage, or wring a fabulous ransom from
you."
"We will search every house," the burgomaster said, "from cellar to
roof."
"It would be useless," Rupert said. "There must be secret hiding
places where she could be stowed away, bound and gagged perhaps,
and which you could never detect. I would lose no moment of time in
sending out horsemen to every village on either side of the river
above and below us, for a circle of twenty miles. If horsemen have
passed through, some villager or other is sure to have been awoke
by the clatter of the horses. If we get news, we must follow up the
traces wherever they go. If not, it will be strong proof that they
are still here. In any case, our pursuit all over the country will
lead them to think that we have no suspicion that she is here, and
we shall have far more chance of lighting upon a clue than if they
thought we suspected it. Get trusty men to work at once. Question
the prisoners your men have taken, with some sharp pain that will
wring the truth from them; but let all be done quietly; while on
the other hand, let the chase through the country be as active and
public as possible."
Threats, and the application of a string twisted round the thumb,
and tightened until the blood spurted from beneath the nails--rough
modes of questioning which had not yet died out--soon elicited from
the captives the place where the arch-conspirator had been staying
while he laid the train for the explosion; but, as was expected, a
search showed that the bird had flown, without leaving a trace
behind him.
Then, as there was nothing more to do until morning, and two score
of horsemen had been sent off in different directions, and the
officers most acquainted with the haunts of the bad characters were
set quietly at work to search for some clue that might help to find
the hiding place of Maria, the magistrates took their leave with
many expressions of regret and commiseration with the merchant, and
with confession of a consciousness of deep fault that they had not
taken to heart his warnings.
Long ere this the bodies of the score of rioters who had fallen on
the stairs, hall, and passages had been removed; and leaving the
afflicted merchant for awhile to his thoughts, Rupert retired to
his room, telling Hugh and Joe to follow him. He explained to them
exactly the steps which had been taken, and his opinion as to the
true state of things; and bade them think the matter over in every
light, and to come to him at daybreak, and let him know if any plan
for the conduct of the search had occurred to them.
The result of the night's thoughts and of the morning's
deliberations was conveyed to Mynheer van Duyk by Rupert.
"The first thing to be done is to offer a large reward, sir, for
any news which may lead to the discovery of your daughter. This may
or may not bring us in some information. The next thing is to have
an eye kept on every boat by the quay which may have a cabin or
half-deck capable of concealing a person wrapped up and bound.
Also, that a watch should be set upon any fishing boat anchored in
the river, or moored against the banks, for miles round. It is very
possible that she was carried on board, and that there she may be
kept, close to us, for days, or even weeks, until the hotness of
the search is over, and they can pass up or down the river without
being stopped and overhauled."
"We will have every boat at the quay searched at once; and boat
parties shall be sent off to examine every craft at anchor or
moored in the river."
"I think, sir, that it behoves us to act with care," Rupert said;
"for knowing the desperate nature of this villain, I think it
probable that he would wreak his hate upon your daughter, and do
some terrible crime when he found that he was discovered, for he
knows that his life is already forfeit. When we find out where she
is confined, to my mind the serious difficulty only commences, for
it is absolutely necessary that the arrest be so prompt and sudden,
that he shall not have time even to level a pistol at her."
Van Duyk acknowledged the justice of Rupert's reasoning.
"Hugh has suggested that it is likely that he has in his pay the
same boatmen whom he employed last year to murder us. As a first
step, let one of your clerks go down with an officer to the quay,
and inquire what boats left here yesterday or in the night. Hugh
will put on a rough fisherman's suit, and with his hat well down
over his brows, will stroll along by the water, to see if he
recognizes the face of any of the men."
At eight o'clock in the morning there was a meeting of the council
of the town, to determine upon the measures to be taken to discover
the authors of this disgraceful outbreak, and to take steps for the
recovery of the daughter of the leading citizen of the town. Criers
had already gone round to offer rewards for information; and a
proclamation was now issued by the magistrates, calling upon every
citizen to do his best to aid in the search. A committee was
appointed, to investigate all information which might be brought
in.
All Dort was in a state of excitement; parties of the burgher guard
still patrolled the town; numerous arrests were made in the
skinners' and butchers' quarters; groups of people assembled and
talked over the events of the night; and indignation at the riot
and assault upon Mynheer van Duyk, and pity for himself and his
daughter, were loudly expressed on all sides. The authorities
forbade any one from leaving the town by land or water without a
special permit signed by the magistrates.
The investigation as to the sailing of boats upon the previous day
produced a long list of craft of various sizes and kinds that had
left Dort. Besides those that had actually sailed, one or two had
left the quay, and had anchored out in the river, and made fast to
buoys there.
Hugh returned with the intelligence that he had recognized in a
boatman loitering on the quay one of the crew of the boat in which
Rupert and he had had so narrow an escape from drowning. The
captain of one of the merchant's own craft, of which there were
several at Dort, was sent for, and having received instructions as
to his course, accompanied Hugh to the quay, and having had the
fisherman pointed out to him, sauntered along, and after speaking
to several men, entered into conversation with him. A confidential
agent of the merchant was also ordered to keep at a distance, but
to watch every movement, however minute and insignificant, of the
suspected man.
The captain's report was soon given in. He had asked the man if he
wanted a berth in a ship just going to sail for England, one of the
crew having fallen sick at the last moment. He had refused, as he
belonged to a boat just about to sail for Bergen op Zoom, and he
had nodded towards a large decked boat riding in the river. Fearing
to excite suspicion, he had asked no further question, but had
turned to another man standing near, and asked him if he would make
the voyage.
It was considered certain by Rupert and Van Duyk that Maria was
either already confined in that boat, or that she would be taken
there when it was considered safe to start. A close scrutiny of the
boat with a telescope showed that two men were on board her. They
appeared to be smoking, and idling about.
In the meantime, at the Town Hall the committee were busy in
examining the reports brought in by the horsemen--whose tales
agreed, inasmuch as in none of the villages visited by them had any
stir or unusual movement been heard through the night--and in
hearing the evidence of innumerable people, who were all anxious to
give information which appeared to them to bear upon the outrage.
Van Duyk himself, like one distracted, wandered from place to
place.
Presently the spy set to watch the fisherman came in with his
report. He said that it was clear that the man was anxious and ill
at ease; that after an hour's waiting, a man came and spoke a word
to him, and passed on; that the fisherman then got into a small
boat and rowed out towards his vessel, but that he did not watch
him further, thinking it better to follow the man up who had spoken
to him. After walking about aimlessly for a short time, as if to
see whether he was watched, he had proceeded some distance along
the quay, and had then gone into a large house used as a tavern and
sailors' boardinghouse, but which did but a small trade, the
landlord having a bad name in the place.
A boat, with a strong armed party, was ordered to be in readiness
to follow at once if the fishing boat sailed; to keep at a
distance, but to follow her wherever she went, and at her next
landing place to pounce suddenly upon her and search her. Then the
whole attention of the searchers was directed to the tavern in
question.
It was agreed that Maria was not likely to be in confinement there,
as, it having been the house at which it had been ascertained that
Sir Richard Fulke had, previous to the last attempt on Rupert,
stayed in hiding, it would be suspected, and might be searched. The
strictest watch was now set upon the house, and everyone leaving it
was followed. Many came out and in, sailors from the quay or the
ships lying there; but in none of their movements was anything
suspicious found.
At five in the afternoon a boy of twelve years old, a son of the
landlord, came out. He looked suspiciously round, and then walked
along the quay. As he passed a house of considerable size, he again
looked round, pulled the bell twice, hastily, and then walked on.
He made a long detour, and returned to the tavern.
Not a moment was lost in following up the clue. The house in
question had been unoccupied for some time. The owner was, however,
known to Van Duyk, who at once called upon him. He said that he had
let it some weeks before, to a person who had stated that he was a
merchant of Amsterdam, and intended to open a branch house at Dort.
He had paid him six months' rent in advance, and had received the
keys of the house. He believed that some of his party had arrived,
as he had himself seen two men go in, but the house was certainly
not yet open for business.
Rupert, who had been all day at work following out other clues
given by persons who had come forward, returned just as Mynheer van
Duyk came back with the news.
"Thank God!" he said, "There is an end to uncertainty. Your
daughter is in that house, beyond all doubt. It is only a question
of action now. Let us call in the burgomaster and the chief
constable, and discuss how the rescue is to be effected. It is
probable that he has with him a dozen desperate fellows of his
Black Forest gang, and the task of so arranging it that we may
interpose between her and the arch-villain is a difficult one
indeed. While you send for these officials, I will go and
reconnoitre the house; it is quite dark."
The house differed little from its fellows. It was old, with
gables, and each floor projected beyond the one below it. A dim
light was visible in one of the upper rooms, while a far brighter
light shone through the folds of curtains which had been drawn
across a window lower down. Rupert drew his own conclusions.
Returning, he found the burgomaster and chief constable already
with Mynheer van Duyk. After much discussion it was agreed that
thirty picked men should be at Rupert's orders at ten that night,
an hour at which all Dort would already be sound asleep.
The chief constable then proceeded with Rupert to the houses
situated behind that which was intended to be attacked. It was
reconnoitred from that side, and found to be in darkness. The
owners of these houses, strictly charged to secrecy, were informed
of what was going on, and promised all aid in their power. A dozen
ladders of various lengths were now got together.
Then they went to the house adjoining, and made their way out on to
the roof. This, like many of the Dort houses, was furnished with a
terrace, placed between the gabled roofs, which rose sharply on
either side. Here the owner, if disposed, could sit and smoke, and
look on the river. A table and benches were placed here, and a few
tubs with shrubs and flowers.
A short, light ladder was brought up, and Rupert climbed up the
steep roof, drew up his ladder, and descended on the other side.
The steep roof of the next house now faced him, and he was soon
over this also, and stood on the little terrace of the house where
he believed Maria was a prisoner. It in all respects resembled that
he had left. The door leading to it appeared strong and firmly
fastened. He now retraced his steps.
Then some light ladders were brought up and placed in position on
the two roofs, and all was ready for a party to pass over onto the
terrace.
At ten o'clock, then, accompanied by Mynheer van Duyk and the two
troopers, he went to the spot where the force was assembled, and
told them off to the duties he had assigned to them.
Eight were to enter the next house with Hugh and Joe Sedley, were
to pass, by means of the ladders, over the roof on to the terrace.
They were to carry heavy axes and crowbars, and to beat down the
door and rush downstairs the instant the signal was given.
Sixteen were to raise eight ladders at the back of the house, and
place them close to the windows. Two were to take post at each,
ready to burst in the window and rush in at the signal.
The remaining six were to bring a long ladder to the front of the
house, and place it against the upper window, where the light was.
Two were to follow Rupert up this ladder, the other four to place
themselves at the front door, and cut down all who tried to escape.
Rupert's object in attacking at so many different points was so to
confuse the occupants of the house by the suddenness and noise of
the assault that they would be unable to rally and carry out any
plan they might have formed, before the assailants could muster in
sufficient force to overcome them.
Orders were also issued for a party of men to proceed to the quay,
and to arrest and carry off anyone they might find hanging about
there.
All arranged, the party moved off and the work was begun. Thick
rolls of flannel had been fastened round the ends of the ladders,
so as to prevent the slightest noise being made when they came in
contact with the wall. Rupert saw the ladders planted at the back
of the house, and the men ready to climb to their places. He then
moved round to the front; here the ladder was also fixed. A light
flashed down from the terrace above showed that here too the party
were in position; and Rupert began to mount, followed by Van Duyk,
who had insisted upon taking that post, so as to be ready to spring
to the assistance of his child at the first attack. The ladder
reached exactly to the window, and as his eyes reached the level
Rupert peered anxiously in.
At a table, on which burned a candle, sat a man with a huge bowl of
liquor and a brace of pistols before him. On a pallet bed in a
corner lay a figure, which Rupert felt sure was that of Maria.
Rupert doubted not in the least that the order to the watcher was
to kill her at the first alarm. Twice he raised his pistol, twice
withdrew it. If he did not kill the man on the spot, Maria's life
would be clearly forfeited. Under such circumstances he dared not
fire.
After a moment's thought he gave a sharp tap at the window, and
then shrank below the level of the window, and with both his
pistols pointed upwards, he waited. As he expected, in a moment the
window darkened, and the figure of a man was seen trying to look
out into the darkness. As he leaned against the glass, Rupert
discharged both his pistols into his body, and then, leaping up,
dashed in the window, and leapt over the man's body into the room.
Maria had sprung up with a scream.
"You are safe, Maria," Rupert exclaimed, as he ran to the door.
"Here is your father."
The discharge of the pistol had been the signal, and with it came a
sound of heavy blows, the crashing of timber, and the shivering of
glass. Then rose shouts and furious exclamations, and then a great
tramping sounded through the late silent house. Doors and windows
had all given way at the onset; and as Sir Richard Fulke with eight
comrades rushed upstairs, Hugh and his party ran down.
Torches had been provided, and lanterns, and as three of Hugh's men
carried them the broad landing was lighted up. Sir Richard Fulke
first turned to the door of Maria's room, but there Rupert and two
followers stood with drawn swords.
"Cut them down! Cut them down!" he shouted; but the rush of Hugh,
Joe Sedley, and the rest swept him back, and he fought now to
defend his life.
Up the stairs from behind ran the officers who had gained entry by
the windows; and the outlaws saw themselves surrounded and hedged
in. They fought desperately but vainly, and one by one fell under
the blows of their assailants.
Rupert stood immovable on guard. He knew the desperate nature of
his enemy, and feared that if he himself were drawn for a moment
from his post into the conflict, he would rush past and endeavour
to avenge himself upon them all by killing Maria.
At last, when most of his followers had fallen, Sir Richard Fulke
made a sudden dash through his assailants, and fled up the stairs
towards the door on the roof. Rupert, who had never for a moment
taken his eye off him, followed at full speed, shouting to Hugh to
bring torches and follow.
Short as was the start that was gained, it nearly sufficed for the
desperate man's escape; as Rupert gained the terrace, he was
already nearly at the top of the ladder against the roof. Rupert
seized the ladder, and jerked it sideways. Sir Richard made a grasp
at the crest of the roof, and then rolled down on to the terrace.
Rupert rushed forward, but the torches had not yet come, and his
enemy was on his feet and upon him, with the advantage which the
light coming up the stairs afforded him, and striking down his
guard, rushed in and grappled with him. Rupert dropped his sword,
which was useless now, and struggled for his life. He felt what his
enemy's object was, to throw both over the end of the terrace. He
was strong and athletic, but he was far from being a match for his
older opponent, to whom rage, despair, and hatred lent a prodigious
strength.
"Hugh," he shouted, "Quick! Quick!"
Joe Sedley was the first to leap to the terrace with a torch, and
stood for a moment aghast as he saw the deadly struggle going on,
close to the slight wooden railing which ran along the edge of the
terrace; then he sprang forward, and just as the struggling foes
crashed through the woodwork, and were in the very act of falling
over the low stone parapet, he dashed the torch in Sir Richard's
face, while at the same moment he grasped Rupert's shoulder with a
grip of iron, and dragged him back; as his foe loosed his grasp
when the torch struck him in the face, and dropped in the darkness.
"A close squeak that, sir. The fellow died hard," Joe Sedley said,
cheerily.
"It was indeed, Joe. I owe my life to you."
"Oh, it was all in the way of business, sir. You'll likely enough
do as much for me in our next charge."
Hugh was up a moment after Joe Sedley, for the latter had been
nearer to a man with a torch, but he just saw the narrow escape his
master had, and was so shaken that his hand trembled as he wrung
that of his comrade.
"I must stick to my sword, another time," Rupert said. "I am David
without his sling without it, and any Goliath who comes along can
make short work of me. Now let us go below and see after Miss van
Duyk, and assure ourselves that our enemy is dead at last. As he
said in the boat, I shall never feel quite safe till I know for
certain that he is dead."