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