FRIENDS IN TROUBLE
Within the little town of Alkmaar all went on quietly. While the
Spaniards constructed their lines of investment and mounted their
batteries, the men laboured continually at strengthening their
walls, the women and children carried materials, all the food was
collected in magazines, and rations served out regularly. A carpenter
named Peter Van der Mey managed to make his way out of the city
a fortnight after the investment began with letters to the Prince
and Sonoy, giving the formal consent of all within the walls for
the cutting of the dykes when it should be necessary; for, according
to the laws of Holland, a step that would lead to so enormous a
destruction of property could not be undertaken, even in the most
urgent circumstances, without the consent of the population.
At daybreak on the 18th of September a heavy cannonade was opened
against the walls, and after twelve hours' fire two breaches were
made. Upon the following morning two of the best Spanish regiments
which had just arrived from Italy led the way to the assault, shouting
and cheering as they went, and confident of an easy victory. They
were followed by heavy masses of troops.
Now Ned was again to see what the slow and somewhat apathetic Dutch
burghers could do when fairly roused to action. Every man capable
of bearing a weapon was upon the walls, and not even in Haarlem was
an attack received with more coolness and confidence. As the storming
parties approached they were swept by artillery and musketry, and
as they attempted to climb the breaches, boiling water, pitch and
oil, molten lead and unslaked lime were poured upon them. Hundreds of
tarred and blazing hoops were skilfully thrown on to their necks,
and those who in spite of these terrible missiles mounted the
breach, found themselves confronted by the soldiers and burghers,
armed with axe and pike, and were slain or cast back again.
Three times was the assault renewed, fresh troops being ever
brought up and pressing forward, wild with rage at their repulses
by so small a number of defenders. But each was in turn hurled
back. For four hours the desperate fight continued. The women and
children showed a calmness equal to that of the men, moving backwards
and forwards between the magazines and the ramparts with supplies
of missiles and ammunition to the combatants. At nightfall the
Spaniards desisted from the attack and fell back to their camp,
leaving a thousand dead behind them; while only twenty-four of the
garrison and thirteen of the burghers lost their lives.
A Spanish officer who had mounted the breach for an instant, and,
after being hurled back, almost miraculously escaped with his life,
reported that he had seen neither helmet nor harness as he looked
down into the city--only some plain looking people, generally
dressed like fishermen. The cannonade was renewed on the following
morning, and after 700 shots had been fired and the breaches enlarged,
a fresh assault was ordered. But the troops absolutely refused to
advance. It seemed to them that the devil, whom they believed the
Protestants worshipped, had protected the city, otherwise how could
a handful of townsmen and fishermen have defeated the invincible
soldiers of Spain, outnumbering them eight fold.
In vain Don Frederick and his generals entreated and stormed.
Several of the soldiers were run through the body, but even this
did not intimidate the rest into submission, and the assault was
in consequence postponed. Already, indeed, there was considerable
uneasiness in the Spanish camp. Governor Sonoy had opened many
of the dykes, and the ground in the neighbourhood of the camp was
already feeling soft and boggy. It needed but that two great dykes
should be pierced to spread inundation over the whole country. The
carpenter who had soon after the commencement of the siege carried
out the despatches had again made his way back. He was the bearer
of the copy of a letter sent from the prince to Sonoy, ordering
him to protect the dykes and sluices with strong guards, lest the
peasants, in order to save their crops, should repair the breaches.
He was directed to flood the whole country at all risks rather
than to allow Alkmaar to fall. The prince directed the citizens to
kindle four great beacon fires as soon as it should prove necessary
to resort to extreme measures, and solemnly promised that as soon
as the signal was given an inundation should be created which would
sweep the whole Spanish army into the sea.
The carpenter was informed of the exact contents of his despatches,
so that in case of losing them in his passage through the Spanish
camp he could repeat them by word of mouth to the citizens. This
was exactly what happened. The despatches were concealed in a hollow
stick, and this stick the carpenter, in carrying out his perilous
undertaking, lost. As it turned out it was fortunate that he did
so. The stick was picked up in the camp and discovered to be hollow.
It was carried to Don Frederick, who read the despatches, and at
once called his officers together.
Alarmed at the prospect before them, and already heartily sick of
the siege in which the honour all fell to their opponents, they
agreed that the safety of any army of the picked troops of Spain
must not be sacrificed merely with the hope of obtaining possession
of an insignificant town. Orders were therefore given for an
immediate retreat, and on the 8th of October the siege was raised
and the troops marched back to Amsterdam.
Thus for the first time the Spaniards had to recoil before their
puny adversaries. The terrible loss of life entailed by the capture
of Haarlem had struck a profound blow at the haughty confidence
of the Spaniards, and had vastly encouraged the people of Holland.
The successful defence of Alkmaar did even more. It showed the
people that resistance did not necessarily lead to calamity, that
the risk was greater in surrender than in defiance, and, above
all, that in their dykes they possessed means of defence that, if
properly used, would fight for them even more effectually than they
could do for themselves.
Ned had taken his full share in the labours and dangers of the
siege. He had been indefatigable in seeing that all the arrangements
worked well and smoothly, had slept on the walls with the men,
encouraged the women, talked and laughed with the children, and
done all in his power to keep up the spirits of the inhabitants.
At the assault on the breaches he had donned his armour and fought
in the front line as a volunteer under the officer in command of
the garrison.
On the day when the Spaniards were seen to be breaking up their
camps and retiring, a meeting held in the town hall, after a solemn
thanksgiving had been offered in the church, and by acclamation
Ned was made a citizen of the town, and was presented with a gold
chain as a token of the gratitude of the people of Alkmaar. There
was nothing more for him to do here, and as soon as the Spaniards
had broken up their camp he mounted a horse and rode to Enkhuizen,
bidding his escort follow him at once on foot.
He had learned from the carpenter who had made his way in, that the
fleet was collected, and that a portion of them from the northern
ports under Admiral Dirkzoon had already set sail, and the whole
were expected to arrive in a few days in the Zuider Zee. As he rode
through the street on his way to the burgomaster's his eye fell
upon a familiar face, and he at once reined in his horse.
"Ah! Peters," he exclaimed, "is it you? Is the Good Venture in
port?"
Peters looked up in astonishment. The voice was that of Ned Martin,
but he scarce recognized in the handsomely dressed young officer
the lad he had last seen a year before.
"Why, it is Master Ned, sure enough!" he exclaimed, shaking the
lad's hand warmly. "Though if you had not spoken I should have
assuredly passed you. Why, lad, you are transformed. I took you
for a young noble with your brave attire and your gold chain; and
you look years older than when I last saw you. You have grown into
a man; but though you have added to your height and your breadth
your cheeks have fallen in greatly, and your colour has well nigh
faded away."
"I have had two long bouts of fasting, Peters, and have but just
finished the second. I am Captain Martin now, by the favour of the
Prince of Orange. How are they at home? and how goes it with my
father?"
"He is on board, Master Ned. This is his first voyage, and right
glad we are, as you may guess, to have him back again; and joyful
will he be to see you. He had your letter safely that you wrote
after the fall of Haarlem, and it would have done you good if you
had heard the cheers in the summer house when he read it out to
the captains there. We had scarce thought we should ever hear of
you again."
"I will put up my horse at the burgomaster's, Peters, and come on
board with you at once. I must speak to him first for a few minutes.
A messenger was sent off on horseback last night the moment the
road was opened to say that the Spaniards had raised the siege of
Alkmaar; but I must give him a few details."
"So you have been there too? The guns have been firing and the
bells ringing all the day, and the people have been well nigh out
of their minds with joy. They had looked to the Spaniards coming
here after they had finished with Alkmaar, and you may guess how
joyful they were when the news came that the villains were going
off beaten."
A quarter of an hour later Ned leapt from the quay on to the deck
of the Good Venture. His father's delight was great as he entered
the cabin, and he was no less astonished than Peters had been at
the change that a year had made in his appearance.
"Why, Ned," he said, after they had talked for half an hour, "I fear
you are getting much too great a man ever to settle down again to
work here."
"Not at all, father," Ned laughed. "I have not the least idea
of remaining permanently here. I love the sea, and I love England
and my home, and nothing would tempt me to give them up. I cannot
leave my present work now. The prince has been so kind to me that
even if I wished it I could not withdraw from his service now. But
I do not wish. In another year, if all the Dutch cities prove as
staunch as Haarlem and Alkmaar have done, the Spaniards will surely
begin to see that their task of subduing such a people is a hopeless
one. At any rate I think that I can then very well withdraw myself
from the work and follow my profession again. I shall be old enough
then to be your second mate, and to relieve you of much of your
work."
"I shall be glad to have you with me," Captain Martin said. "Of
course I still have the supercargo, but that is not like going
ashore and seeing people one's self. However, we can go on as we
are for a bit. You have been striking a blow for freedom, lad, I
mean to do my best to strike one tomorrow or next day."
"How is that, father?"
"Bossu's fleet of thirty vessels are cruising off the town, and
they have already had some skirmishes with Dirkzoon's vessels;
but nothing much has come of it yet. The Spaniards, although their
ships are much larger and heavily armed, and more numerous too than
ours, do not seem to have any fancy for coming to close quarters;
but there is sure to be a fight in a few days. There is a vessel
in port which will go out crowded with the fishermen here to take
part in the fight; and I am going to fly the Dutch flag for once
instead of the English, and am going to strike a blow to pay them
off for the murder of your mother's relations, to say nothing of
this," and he touched his wooden leg. "There are plenty of men here
ready and willing to go, and I have taken down the names of eighty
who will sail with us; so we shall have a strong crew, and shall
be able to give good account of ourselves."
"Can I go with you, father?" Ned asked eagerly.
"If you like, lad. It will be tough work, you know; for the Spaniards
fight well, that cannot be denied. But as you stood against them
when they have been five to one in the breaches of Haarlem and
Alkmaar, to say nothing of our skirmish with them, you will find
it a novelty to meet them when the odds are not altogether against
us."
The next day, the 11th of October, the patriot fleet were seen
bearing down with a strong easterly breeze upon the Spaniards, who
were cruising between Enkuizen and Horn. All was ready on board
the Good Venture and her consort. The bells rang, and a swarm of
hardy fishermen came pouring on board. In five minutes the sails
were hoisted, and the two vessels, flying the Dutch flag, started
amidst the cheers of the burghers on the walls to take their share
in the engagement. They came up with the enemy just as Dirkzoon's
vessels engaged them, and at once joined in the fray.
The patriot fleet now numbered twenty-five vessels against the thirty
Spaniards, most of which were greatly superior in size to their
opponents. The Dutch at once maneuvered to come to close quarters,
and the Spaniards, who had far less confidence in themselves by
sea than on land, very speedily began to draw out of the fight.
The Good Venture and a Dutch craft had laid themselves alongside
a large Spanish ship, and boarded her from both sides. Ned and
Peters, followed by the English sailors, clambered on board near
the stern, while the Dutch fishermen, most of whom were armed with
heavy axes, boarded at the waist.
The Spaniards fought but feebly, and no sooner did the men from
the craft on the other side pour in and board her than they threw
down their arms. Four other ships were taken, and the rest of the
Spanish vessels spread their sails and made for Amsterdam, hotly
pursued by the Dutch fleet. One huge Spanish vessel alone, the
Inquisition, a name that was in itself an insult to the Dutch,
and which was by far the largest and best manned vessel in the two
fleets, disdained to fly. She was the admiral's vessel, and Bossu,
who was himself a native of the Netherlands, although deserted by
his fleet, refused to fly before his puny opponents.
The Spaniards in the ships captured had all been killed or fastened
below, and under charge of small parties of the Dutch sailors the
prizes sailed for Enkhuizen. The ship captured by the Good Venture
had been the last to strike her flag, and when she started under
her prize crew there were three smaller Dutch ships besides the Good
Venture on the scene of the late conflict. With a cheer, answered
from boat to boat, the four vessels sailed towards the Inquisition.
A well directed broadside from the Spaniards cut away the masts
out of one of them, and left her in a sinking condition. The other
three got alongside and grappled with her.
So high did she tower above them that her cannon were of no avail
to her now, and locked closely together the sailors and soldiers
fought as if on land.
It was a life and death contest. Bossu and his men, clad in coats
of mail, stood with sword and shield on the deck of the Inquisition
to repel all attempts to board. The Dutch attacked with their
favourite missiles--pitched hoops, boiling oil, and molten lead.
Again and again they clambered up the lofty sides of the Inquisition
and gained a momentary footing on her deck, only to be hurled down
again into their ships below. The fight began at three o'clock
in the afternoon and lasted till darkness. But even this did not
terminate it; and all night Spaniards and Dutchmen grappled in
deadly conflict. All this time the vessels were drifting as the
winds and tide took them, and at last grounded on a shoal called
The Neck, near Wydeness. Just as morning was breaking John Haring
of Horn--the man who had kept a thousand at bay on the Diemar
Dyke, and who now commanded one of the vessels--gained a footing
on the deck of the Inquisition unnoticed by the Spaniards, and
hauled down her colours; but a moment later he fell dead, shot
through the body. As soon as it was light the country people came
off in boats and joined in the fight, relieving their compatriots
by carrying their killed and wounded on shore. They brought fresh
ammunition as well as men, and at eleven o'clock Admiral Bossu,
seeing that further resistance was useless, and that his ship was
aground on a hostile shore, his fleet dispersed and three-quarters
of his soldiers and crew dead or disabled, struck his flag and
surrendered with 300 prisoners.
He was landed at Horn, and his captors had great difficulty in
preventing him from being torn to pieces by the populace in return
for the treacherous massacre at Rotterdam, of which he had been
the author.
During the long fight Ned Martin behaved with great bravery. Again
and again he and Peters had led the boarders, and it was only his
morion and breast piece that had saved him many times from death.
He had been wounded several times, and was so breathless and hurt
by his falls from the deck that at the end he could no longer even
attempt to climb the sides of the Spanish vessel. Captain Martin
was able to take no part in the melee. He had at the beginning of
the fight taken up his post on the taffrail, and, seated there, had
kept up a steady fire with a musket against the Spaniards as they
showed themselves above.
As soon as the fight was over the Good Venture sailed back to
Enkhuizen. Five of her own crew and thirty-eight of the volunteers
on board her had been killed, and there was scarcely a man who was
not more or less severely wounded. The English were received with
tremendous acclamation by the citizens on their arrival in port,
and a vote of thanks was passed to them at a meeting of the burghers
in the town hall.
Ned sailed round in the Good Venture to Delft and again joined the
Prince of Orange there, and was greatly commended for his conduct
at Alkmaar, which had been reported upon in the most favourable
terms by Sonoy. On learning the share that the Good Venture had
taken in the sea fight, the prince went on board and warmly thanked
Captain Martin and the crew, and distributed a handsome present
among the latter. Half an hour after the prince returned to the
palace he sent for Ned.
"Did you not say," he asked, "that the lady who concealed you at
Brussels was the Countess Von Harp?"
"Yes, your highness. You have no bad news of her, I hope?"
"I am sorry to say that I have," the prince replied. "I have
just received a letter brought me by a messenger from a friend at
Maastricht. He tells me among other matters that the countess and
her daughter were arrested there two days since. They were passing
through in disguise, and were, it was supposed, making for Germany,
when it chanced that the countess was recognized by a man in the
service of one of the magistrates. It seems he had been born on
Von Harp's estate, and knew the countess well by sight. He at once
denounced her, and she and her daughter and a woman they had with
them were thrown into prison. I am truly sorry, for the count was
a great friend of mine, and I met his young wife many times in the
happy days before these troubles began."
Ned was greatly grieved when he heard of the danger to which the
lady who had behaved so kindly to him was exposed, and an hour
later he again went into the prince's study.
"I have come in to ask, sir, if you will allow me to be absent for
a time?"
"Certainly, Captain Martin," the prince replied. "Are you thinking
of paying a visit to England?"
"No, sir. I am going to try if I can do anything to get the Countess
Von Harp out of the hands of those who have captured her."
"But how are you going to do that?" the prince asked in surprise.
"It is one thing to slip out of the hands of Alva's minions as you
did at Brussels, but another thing altogether to get two women out
of prison."
"That is so," Ned said; "but I rely much, sir, upon the document
which I took a year since from the body of Von Aert's clerk, and
which I have carefully preserved ever since. It bears the seal of
the Blood Council, and is an order to all magistrates to assist
the bearer in all ways that he may require. With the aid of that
document I may succeed in unlocking the door of the prison."
"It is a bold enterprise," the prince said, "and may cost you your
life. Still I do not say it is impossible."
"I have also," Ned said, "some orders for the arrest of prisoners.
These are not sealed, but bear the signature of the president of
the council. I shall go to a scrivener and shall get him to copy
one of them exactly, making only the alteration that the persons of
the Countess Von Harp, her daughter, and servant are to be handed
over to my charge for conveyance to Brussels. Alone, this document
might be suspected; but, fortified as I am by the other with the
seal of the council, it may pass without much notice."
"Yes, but you would be liable to detection by any one who has known
this man Genet."
"There is a certain risk of that," Ned replied; "and if anyone who
knew him well met me I should of course be detected. But that is
unlikely. The man was about my height, although somewhat thinner.
His principal mark was a most evil squint that he had, and that
anyone who had once met him would be sure to remember. I must practice
crossing my eyes in the same manner when I present my papers."
The prince smiled. "Sometimes you seem to me a man, Martin, and then
again you enter upon an undertaking with the light heartedness of
a boy. However, far be it from me to hinder your making the attempt.
It is pleasant, though rare, to see people mindful of benefits
bestowed upon them, and one is glad to see that gratitude is not
altogether a lost virtue. Go, my lad; and may God aid you in your
scheme. I will myself send for a scrivener at once and give him
instructions; it may well be that he would refuse to draw up such
a document as that you require merely on your order.
"Leave the order for arrest with me, and I will bid him get
a facsimile made in all respects. You will require two or three
trusty men with you to act as officials under your charge. I will
give you a letter to my correspondent in Maastricht begging him
to provide some men on whom he can rely for this work. It would be
difficult for you, a stranger in the town, to put your hand upon
them."
The next morning Ned, provided with the forged order of release,
started on his journey. He was disguised as a peasant, and carried a
suit of clothes similar in cut and fashion to those worn by Genet.
He went first to Rotterdam, and bearing west crossed the river
Lek, and then struck the Waal at Gorichen, and there hired a boat
and proceeded up the river to Nymegen. He then walked across to
Grave, and again taking boat proceeded up the Maas, past Venlo and
Roermond to Maastricht. He landed a few miles above the town, and
changed his peasant clothes for the suit he carried with him.
At a farmhouse he succeeded in buying a horse, saddle, and bridle.
The animal was but a poor one, but it was sufficiently good for his
purpose, as he wanted it not for speed, but only to enable him to
enter the city on horseback. Maastricht was a strongly fortified
city, and on entering its gates Ned was requested to show his papers.
He at once produced the document bearing the seal of the Council.
This was amply sufficient, and he soon took up his quarters at an
inn. His first step was to find the person for whom he bore the
letter from the prince. The gentleman, who was a wealthy merchant,
after reading the missive and learning from Ned the manner in which
he could assist him, at once promised to do so.
"You require three men, you say, dressed as officials in the
employment of the Council. The dress is easy enough, for they bear
no special badge or cognizance, although generally they are attired
in dark green doublets and trunks and red hose. There will be no
difficulty as to the men themselves. The majority of the townsmen
are warmly affected to the patriotic cause, and there are many who
are at heart Protestants; though, like myself, obliged to abstain
from making open confession of their faith. At any rate, I have
three men at least upon whom I can absolutely rely. Their duty,
you say, will be simply to accompany you to the prison and to ride
with you with these ladies until beyond the gates. They must, of
course, be mounted, and must each have pillions for the carriage of
the prisoners behind them. Once well away from the town they will
scatter, leave their horses at places I shall appoint, change their
clothes, and return into the city. What do you mean to do with the
ladies when you have got them free?"
"I do not know what their plans will be, or where they will wish
to go," Ned said. "I should propose to have a vehicle with a pair
of horses awaiting them two miles outside the town. I should say
that a country cart would be least likely to excite suspicion.
I would have three peasant's dresses there with it. I do not know
that I can make further provision for their flight, as I cannot
say whether they will make for the coast, or try to continue their
journey across the frontier."
"You can leave these matters to me," the merchant said; "the cart
and disguises shall be at the appointed spot whenever you let me
know the hour at which you will be there. You must give me until
noon tomorrow to make all the arrangements."
"Very well, sir," Ned said. "I am greatly obliged to you, and the
prince, who is a personal friend of the countess, will, I am sure,
be greatly pleased when he hears how warmly you have entered into
the plans for aiding her escape. I will present myself to the
magistrates tomorrow at noon, and obtain from them the order upon
the governor of the prison to hand the ladies over to me. If I
should succeed I will go straight back to my inn. If you will place
someone near the door there to see if I enter, which if I succeed
will be about one o'clock, he can bring you the news. I will have
my horse brought round at two, and at that hour your men can ride
up and join me, and I will proceed with them straight to the prison."