by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER XIV
THE SURPRISE OF BREDA
Lionel Vickars had, by the beginning of 1590, come to speak theDutch language well and fluently. Including his first stay in Hollandhe had now been there eighteen months, and as he was in constantcommunications with the Dutch officers and with the population,he had constant occasion for speaking Dutch, a language much moreakin to English than any other continental tongue, and indeed soclosely allied to the dialect of the eastern counties of England,that the fishermen of our eastern ports had in those days littledifficulty in conversing with the Hollanders.
He was one day supping with Sir Francis Vere when Prince Mauriceand several of his officers were also there. The conversation turnedupon the prospects of the campaign of the ensuing spring. Lionel,of course, took no part in it, but listened attentively to whatwas being said and was very pleased to find that the period ofinactivity was drawing to an end, and that their commanders consideredthat they had now gathered a force of sufficient strength to assumethe offensive.
"I would," Prince Maurice said, "that we could gain Breda. Thecity stands like a great sentinel against every movement towardsFlanders, and enables the Spaniards to penetrate at all times towardsthe heart of our country; but I fear that it is altogether beyondour means. It is one of the strongest cities in the Netherlands,and my ancestors, who were its lords, little thought that they werefortifying and strengthening it in order that it might be a thornin the side of their country. I would give much, indeed, to beable to wrest it from the enemy; but I fear it will be long beforewe can even hope for that. It could withstand a regular siege bya well provided army for months; and as to surprise, it is out ofthe question, for I hear that the utmost vigilance is unceasinglymaintained."
A few days after this Lionel was talking with Captain de Heraugiere,who had also been at the supper. He had taken part in the defenceof Sluys and was one of the officers with whom Lionel was mostintimate.
"It would be a rare enterprise to surprise Breda," Captainde Heraugiere said; "but I fear it is hopeless to think of such athing."
"I do not see why it should be," Lionel said. "I was reading whenI was last at home about our wars with the Scotch, and there wereseveral cases in which very strong places that could not have beencarried by assault were captured suddenly by small parties of menwho disguised themselves as waggoners, and hiding a score or twoof their comrades in a wagon covered with firewood, or sacks ofgrain, boldly went up to the gates. When there they cut the tracesof their horses so that the gates could not be closed, or theportcullis lowered, and then falling upon the guards, kept them atbay until a force, hidden near the gates, ran up and entered thetown. I see not why a similar enterprise should not be attemptedat Breda."
"Nor do I," Captain Heraugiere said; "the question is how to setabout such a scheme."
"That one could not say without seeing the place," Lionel remarked."I should say that a plan of this sort could only be successfulafter those who attempted it had made themselves masters of allparticulars of the place and its ways. Everything would depend uponall going smoothly and without hitches of any kind. If you reallythink of undertaking such an adventure, Captain Heraugiere, Ishould be very glad to act under you if Sir Francis Vere will giveme leave to do so; but I would suggest that the first step shouldbe for us to go into Breda in disguise. We might take in a wagonload of grain for sale, or merely carry on our backs baskets withcountry produce, or we could row up in a boat with fish."
"The plan is certainly worth thinking of," Captain Heraugiere said."I will turn it over in my mind for a day, and will then talk toyou again. It would be a grand stroke, and there would be greathonour to be obtained; but it will not do for me to go to PrinceMaurice and lay it before him until we have a plan completely workedout, otherwise we are more likely to meet with ridicule than praise."
The following day Captain Heraugiere called at Lionel's lodgings."I have lain awake all night thinking of our scheme," he said,"and have resolved to carry out at least the first part of it--toenter Breda and see what are the prospects of success, and themanner in which the matter had best be set about. I propose thatwe two disguise ourselves as fishermen, and going down to the riverbetween Breda and Willemstad bargain with some fishermen going upto Breda with their catch for the use of their boat. While they areselling the fish we can survey the town and see what is the bestmethod of introducing a force into it. When our plan is completedwe will go to Voorne, whither Prince Maurice starts tomorrow, andlay the matter before him."
"I will gladly go with you to Breda," Lionel said, "and, as faras I can, aid you there; but I think that it would be best thatyou only should appear in the matter afterwards. I am but a youngvolunteer, and it would be well that I did not appear at all inthe matter, which you had best make entirely your own. But I hope,Captain Heraugiere, that should the prince decide to adopt any planyou may form, and intrust the matter to you, that you will take mewith you in your following."
"That I will assuredly," Captain Heraugiere said, "and will take carethat if it should turn out successful your share in the enterpriseshall be known."
"When do you think of setting about it?" Lionel asked.
"Instantly. My company is at Voorne, and I should return thitherwith the prince today. I will at once go to him and ask for leaveto be absent on urgent affairs for a week. Do you go to Sir FrancisVere and ask for a similar time. Do not tell him, if you can helpit, the exact nature of your enterprise. But if you cannot obtainleave otherwise, of course you must do so. I will be back here intwo hours' time. We can then at once get our disguises, and hirea craft to take us to Willemstad."
Lionel at once went across to the quarters of Sir Francis Vere.
"I have come, Sir Francis, to ask for a week's leave of absence."
"That you can have, Lionel. Where are you going--shooting duckson the frozen meres?"
"No, Sir Francis. I am going on a little expedition with CaptainHeraugiere, who has invited me to accompany him. We have an idea inour heads that may perhaps be altogether useless, but may possiblybear fruit. In the first case we would say nothing about it, inthe second we will lay it before you on our return."
"Very well," Sir Francis said with a smile. "You showed that youcould think at Sluys, and I hope something may come of this ideaof yours, whatever it may be."
At the appointed time Captain Heraugiere returned, having obtainedleave of absence from the prince. They at once went out into thetown and bought the clothes necessary for their disguise. Theyreturned with these to their lodgings, and having put them on wentdown to the wharf, where they had no difficulty in bargaining withthe master of a small craft to take them to Willemstad, as theSpaniards had no ships whatever on the water between Rotterdam andBergen op Zoom. The boat was to wait three days for them at thattown, and to bring them back to Rotterdam. As there was no reasonfor delay they at once went on board and cast off. The distancewas but thirty miles, and just at nightfall they stepped ashore atthe town of Willemstad.
The next morning they had no difficulty in arranging with a fishermanwho was going up to Breda with a cargo of fish to take the placeof two of his boatmen at the oars.
"We want to spend a few hours there," Captain Heraugiere said, "andwill give you five crowns if you will leave two of your men hereand let us take their places."
"That is a bargain," the man said at once; "that is, if you canrow, for we shall scarce take the tide up to the town, and mustkeep on rowing to get there before the ebb begins."
"We can row, though perhaps not so well as your own men. You are,I suppose, in the habit of going there, and are known to the guardsat the port? They are not likely, I should think, to notice thatyou haven't got the same crew as usual?"
"There is no fear of that, and if they did I could easily say thattwo of my men were unable to accompany me today, and that I havehired fresh hands in their places."
Two of the men got out. Captain Heraugiere and Lionel Vickars tooktheir places, and the boat proceeded up the riv
er. The oars wereheavy and clumsy, and the newcomers were by no means sorry when,after a row of twelve miles, they neared Breda.
"What are the regulations for entering Breda?" Captain Heraugiereasked as they approached the town.
"There are no particular regulations," the master of the boat said,"save that on entering the port the boat is searched to see thatit contains nothing but fish. None are allowed to enter the gatesof the town without giving their names, and satisfying the officeron guard that they have business in the place."
An officer came on board as the boat ran up alongside the quay andasked a few questions. After assisting in getting the basket offish on shore Captain Heraugiere and Lionel sauntered away alongthe quay, leaving the fishermen to dispose of their catch to thetownspeople, who had already begun to bargain for them.
The river Mark flowed through the town, supplying its moats withwater. Where it left the town on the western side was the oldcastle, with a moat of its own and strong fortified lines. Withinwas the quay, with an open place called the fish market leadingto the gates of the new castle. There were 600 Spanish infantry inthe town and 100 in the castle, and 100 cavalry. The governor ofBreda, Edward Lanzavecchia, was absent superintending the erectionof new fortifications at Gertruydenberg, and in his absence thetown was under the command of his son Paolo.
Great vigilance was exercised. All vessels entering port werestrictly examined, and there was a guard house on the quay. Lyingby one of the wharves was a large boat laden with peat, which wasbeing rapidly unloaded, the peat being sold as soon as landed, asfuel was very short in the city.
"It seems to me," Lionel said as they stood for a minute lookingon, "that this would be just the thing for us. If we could make anarrangement with the captain of one of these peat boats we mighthide a number of men in the hold and cover them with peat. A placemight be built large enough, I should think, to hold seventy oreighty men, and yet be room for a quantity of peat to be stowedover them."
"A capital idea," Captain Heraugiere said. "The peat comes fromabove the town. We must find out where the barges are loaded, andtry to get at one of the captains."
After a short walk through the town they returned to the boat. Thefisherman had already sold out his stock, and was glad at seeinghis passengers return earlier than he expected; but as the guardwas standing by he rated them severely for keeping him waiting solong, and with a muttered excuse they took their places in the boatand rowed down the river.
"I want you to put us ashore on the left bank as soon as we areour of sight of the town," Captain Heraugiere said. "As it willbe heavy work getting your boat back with only two of you, I willgive you a couple of crowns beyond the amount I bargained with youfor."
"That will do well enough," the man said. "We have got the tidewith us, and can drop down at our leisure."
As soon as they were landed they made a wide detour to avoid thetown, and coming down again upon the river above it, followed itsbanks for three miles, when they put up at a little inn in the smallvillage of Leur on its bank. They had scarcely sat down to a mealwhen a man came in and called for supper. The landlord placedanother plate at the table near them, and the man at once got intoconversation with them, and they learnt that he was master of apeat boat that had that morning left Breda empty.
"We were in Breda ourselves this morning," Captain Heraugiere said,"and saw a peat boat unloading there. There seemed to be a briskdemand for the fuel."
"Yes; it is a good trade at present," the man said. "There are onlysix of us who have permits to enter the port, and it is as much aswe can do to keep the town supplied with fuel; for, you see, at anymoment the river may be frozen up, so the citizens need to keepa good stock in hand. I ought not to grumble, since I reap thebenefit of the Spanish regulations; but all these restrictions ontrade come mighty hard upon the people of Breda. It was not so inthe old time."
After supper was over Captain Heraugiere ordered a couple of flasksof spirits, and presently learned from the boatman that his namewas Adrian Van de Berg, and that he had been at one time a servantin the household of William of Orange. Little by little CaptainHeraugiere felt his way, and soon found that the boatman was anenthusiastic patriot. He then confided to him that he himself wasan officer in the State's service, and had come to Breda to ascertainwhether there was any possibility of capturing the town by surprise.
"We hit on a plan today," he said, "which promises a chance ofsuccess; but it needs the assistance of one ready to risk his life."
"I am ready to risk my life in any enterprise that has a fairchance of success," the boatman said, "but I do not see how I canbe of much assistance."
"You can be of the greatest assistance if you will, and will renderthe greatest service to your country if you will join in our plan.What we propose is, that we should construct a shelter of boardsfour feet high in the bottom of your boat, leading from your littlecabin aft right up to the bow. In this I calculate we could stowseventy men; then the peat could be piled over it, and if youentered the port somewhat late in the afternoon you could managethat it was not unladen so as to uncover the roof of our shelterbefore work ceased for the night. Then we could sally out, overpowerthe guard on the quay, make for one of the gates, master the guardthere, and open it to our friends without."
"It is a bold plan and a good one," Van de Berg said, "and I amready to run my share of the risk with you. I am so well known inBreda that they do not search the cargo very closely when I arrive,and I see no reason why the party hidden below should not escapeobservation. I will undertake my share of the business if youdecide to carry it out. I served the prince for fifteen years, andam ready to serve his son. There are plenty of planks to be obtainedat a place three miles above here, and it would not take many hoursto construct the false deck. If you send a messenger here givingme two days' notice, it shall be built and the peat stowed on itby the time you arrive."
It was late at night before the conversation was concluded, andthe next morning Captain Heraugiere and Lionel started on theirreturn, struck the river some miles below Breda, obtained a passageover the river in a passing boat late in the afternoon, and, sleepingat Willemstad, went on board their boat next morning and returnedto Rotterdam. It was arranged that Lionel should say nothing abouttheir journey until Captain Heraugiere had opened the subject toPrince Maurice.
"You are back before your time," Sir Francis Vere said when Lionelreported himself for duty. "Has anything come of this project ofyours, whatever it may be?"
"We hope so, sir, Captain Heraugiere will make his report to PrinceMaurice. He is the leader of the party, and therefore he thoughtit best that he should report to Prince Maurice, who, if he thinkswell of it, will of course communicate with you."
The next day a message arrived from Voorne requesting Sir FrancisVere to proceed thither to discuss with the prince a matter ofimportance. He returned after two days' absence, and presently sentfor Lionel.
"This is a rare enterprise that Captain Heraugiere has proposed tothe prince," he said, "and promises well for success. It is to bekept a profound secret, and a few only will know aught of it untilit is executed. Heraugiere is of course to have command of the partywhich is to be hidden in the barge, and is to pick out eighty menfrom the garrisons of Gorcum and Lowesteyn. He has begged that youshall be of the party, as he says that the whole matter was in thefirst case suggested to him by you. The rest of the men and officerswill be Dutch."
A fortnight later, on the 22nd of February, Sir Francis Vere on hisreturn from the Hague, where Prince Maurice now was, told Lionelthat all was arranged. The message had come down from Van de Bergthat the hiding place was constructed. They were to join Heraugierethe next day.
On the 24th of February the little party starred. Heraugiere hadchosen young, active, and daring men. With him were Captains Logierand Fervet, and Lieutenant Held. They embarked on board a vessel,and were landed near the mouth of the Mark, as De Berg was thistime going to carry the peat up the river instead of down, fearingthat the p
assage of seventy men through the country would attractattention. The same night Prince Maurice, Sir Francis Vere, CountHohenlohe, and other officers sailed to Willemstad, their destinationhaving been kept a strict secret from all but those engaged in theenterprise. Six hundred English troops, eight hundred Dutch, andthree hundred cavalry had been drawn from different garrisons, andwere also to land at Willemstad.
When Heraugiere's party arrived at the point agreed on at eleveno'clock at night, Van de Berg was not there, nor was the barge;and angry and alarmed at his absence they searched about for himfor hours, and at last found him in the village of Terheyde. He madethe excuse that he had overslept himself, and that he was afraidthe plot had been discovered. As everything depended upon hiscooperation, Heraugiere abstained from the angry reproaches whichthe strange conduct of the man had excited; and as it was nowtoo late to do anything that night, a meeting was arranged forthe following evening, and a message was despatched to the princetelling him that the expedition was postponed for a day. On theirreturn, the men all gave free vent to their indignation.
"I have no doubt," Heraugiere said, "that the fellow has turnedcoward now that the time has come to face the danger. It is onething to talk about a matter as long as it is far distant, butanother to look it in the face when it is close at hand. I do notbelieve that he will come tomorrow.
"If he does not he will deserve hanging," Captain Logier said;"after all the trouble he has given in getting the troops together,and after bringing the prince himself over."
"It will go very near hanging if not quite," Heraugiere muttered."If he thinks that he is going to fool us with impunity, he ismightily mistaken. If he is a wise man he will start at daybreak,and get as far away as he can before nightfall if he does not meanto come."
The next day the party remained in hiding in a barn, and in theevening again went down to the river. There was a barge lying thereladen high with turf. A general exclamation of satisfaction brokefrom all when they saw it. There were two men on it. One landedand came to meet them.
"Where is Van de Berg?" Captain Heraugiere asked as he came up.
"He is ill and unable to come, but has sent you this letter. Mybrother and myself have undertaken the business."
The letter merely said that the writer was too ill to come, buthad sent in his place his two nephews, one or other of whom alwaysaccompanied him, and who could be trusted thoroughly to carry outthe plan. The party at once went on board the vessel, descendedinto the little cabin aft, and then passed through a hole made bythe removal of two planks into the hold that had been prepared forthem. Heraugiere remained on deck, and from time to time descendedto inform those below of the progress being made. It was slowindeed, for a strong wind laden with sleet blew directly down theriver. Huge blocks of ice floated down, and the two boatmen withtheir poles had the greatest difficulty in keeping the boat's headup the stream.
At last the wind so increased that navigation became impossible,and the barge was made fast against the bank. From Monday nightuntil Thursday morning the gale continued. Progress was impossible,and the party cramped up in the hold suffered greatly from hungerand thirst. On Thursday evening they could sustain it no longer andlanded. They were for a time scarce able to walk, so cramped weretheir limbs by their long confinement, and made their way up painfullyto a fortified building called Nordand, standing far from any otherhabitations. Here they obtained food and drink, and remained untileleven at night. One of the boatmen came to them with news that thewind had changed, and was now blowing in from the sea. They againtook their places on board, but the water was low in the river, andit was difficult work passing the shallows, and it was not untilSaturday afternoon that they passed the boom below the town andentered the inner harbour.
An officer of the guard came off in a boat and boarded the barge.The weather was so bitterly cold that he at once went into thelittle cabin and there chatted with the two boatmen. Those in thehold could hear every word that was said, and they almost held theirbreath, for the slightest noise would betray them. After a whilethe officer got into his boat again, saying he would send somemen off to warp the vessel into the castle dock, as the fuel wasrequired by the garrison there. As the barge was making its waytowards the watergate, it struck upon a hidden obstruction in theriver and began to leak rapidly. The situation of those in the holdwas now terrible, for in a few minutes the water rose to theirknees, and the choice seemed to be presented to them of beingdrowned like rats there, or leaping overboard, in which case theywould be captured and hung without mercy. The boatmen plied thepumps vigorously, and in a short time a party of Italian soldiersarrived from the shore and towed the vessel into the inner harbour,and made her fast close to the guard house of the castle. A partyof labourers at once came on board and began to unload the turf;the need of fuel both in the town and castle being great, for theweather had been for some time bitterly cold.
A fresh danger now arose. The sudden immersion in the icy waterin the close cabin brought on a sudden inclination to sneeze andcough. Lieutenant Held, finding himself unable to repress his cough,handed his dagger to Lionel Vickars, who happened to be sittingnext to him, and implored him to stab him to the heart lest hiscough might betray the whole party; but one of the boatmen who wasstanding close to the cabin heard the sounds, and bade his companiongo on pumping with as much noise and clatter as possible, while hehimself did the same, telling those standing on the wharf alongsidethat the boat was almost full of water. The boatmen behaved withadmirable calmness and coolness, exchanging jokes with acquaintanceson the quay, keeping up a lively talk, asking high prices for theirpeat, and engaging in long and animated bargains so as to preventthe turf from being taken too rapidly ashore.
At last, when but a few layers of turf remained over the roofof the hold, the elder brother told the men unloading that it wasgetting too dark, and he himself was too tired and worn out toattend to things any longer. He therefore gave the man some moneyand told them to go to the nearest public house to drink his health,and to return the first thing in the morning to finish unloading.The younger of the two brothers had already left the boat. He madehis way through the town, and started at full speed to carry thenews to Prince Maurice that the barge had arrived safely in thetown, and the attempt would be made at midnight; also of the factthey had learned from those on the wharf, that the governor hadheard a rumour that a force had landed somewhere on the coast, andhad gone off again to Gertruydenberg in all haste, believing thatsome design was on foot against that town. His son Paolo was againin command of the garrison.
A little before midnight Captain Heraugiere told his comrades thatthe hour had arrived, and that only by the most desperate braverycould they hope to succeed, while death was the certain consequenceof failure. The band were divided into two companies. He himselfwith one was to attack the main guard house; the other, underFervet, was to seize the arsenal of the fortress. Noiselessly theystole out from their hiding place, and formed upon the wharf withinthe inclosure of the castle. Heraugiere moved straight upon theguard house. The sentry was secured instantly; but the slight noisewas heard, and the captain of the watch ran out, but was instantlycut down.
Others came out with torches, but after a brief fight were driveninto the guard house; when all were shot down through the doorsand windows. Captain Ferver and his band had done equally well. Themagazine of the castle was seized, and its defenders slain. PaoloLanzavecchia made a sally from the palace with a few of his adherents,but was wounded and driven back; and the rest of the garrison ofthe castle, ignorant of the strength of the force that had thusrisen as it were from the earth upon them, fled panic stricken,not even pausing to destroy the bridge between the castle and thetown.
Young Paolo Lanzavecchia now began a parley with the assailants;but while the negotiations were going on Hohenlohe with his cavalrycame up--having been apprised by the boatman that the attempt wasabout to be made--battered down the palisade near the watergate,and entered the castle. A short time afterwards Prince Maurice,Sir
Francis Vere, and other officers arrived with the main body ofthe troops. But the fight was over before even Hohenlohe arrived;forty of the garrison being killed, and not a single man of theseventy assailants. The burgomaster, finding that the castle hadfallen, and that a strong force had arrived, then sent a trumpeterto the castle to arrange for the capitulation of the town, whichwas settled on the following terms:-- All plundering was commutedfor the payment of two months' pay to every soldier engaged in theaffair. All who chose might leave the city, with full protectionto life and property. Those who were willing to remain were notto be molested in their consciences or households with regard toreligion.
The news of the capture of Breda was received with immense enthusiasmthroughout Holland. It was the first offensive operation that hadbeen successfully undertaken, and gave new hope to the patriots.
Parma was furious at the cowardice with which five companies offoot and one of horse--all picked troops--had fled before theattack of seventy Hollanders. Three captains were publicly beheadedin Brussels and a fourth degraded to the ranks, while Lanzavecchiawas deprived of the command of Gertruydenberg.
For some months before the assault upon Breda the army of Hollandhad been gaining vastly in strength and organization. Prince Maurice,aided by his cousin Lewis William, stadholder of Friesland, had beenhard at work getting it into a state of efficiency. Lewis William,a man of great energy and military talent, saw that the use ofsolid masses of men in the field was no longer fitted to a state ofthings when the improvements in firearms of all sorts had entirelychanged the condition of war. He therefore reverted to the oldRoman methods, and drilled his soldiers in small bodies; teachingthem to turn and wheel, advance or retreat, and perform all sortsof manoeuvres with regularity and order. Prince Maurice adoptedthe same plan in Holland, and the tactics so introduced proved soefficient that they were sooner or later adopted by all civilizednations.
At the time when William of Orange tried to relieve the hard pressedcity of Haarlem, he could with the greatest difficulty muster threeor four thousand men for the purpose. The army of the Netherlandswas now 22,000 strong, of whom 2000 were cavalry. It was welldisciplined, well equipped, and regularly paid, and was soon toprove that the pains bestowed upon it had not been thrown away.In the course of eighteen years that had followed the capture ofBrill and the commencement of the struggle with Spain, the wealthand prosperity of Holland had enormously increased. The Dutch weremasters of the sea coast, the ships of the Zeelanders closed everyavenue to the interior, and while the commerce of Antwerp, Ghent,Bruges, and the other cities of the provinces that remained inthe hands of the Spaniards was for the time destroyed, and theirpopulation fell off by a half, Holland benefited in proportion.
From all the Spanish provinces men of energy and wealth passedover in immense numbers to Holland, where they could pursue theircommerce and industries--free from the exactions and cruelty underwhich they had for so many years groaned. The result was that thecities of Holland increased vastly in wealth and population, andthe resources at the disposal of Prince Maurice enormously exceededthose with which his father had for so many years sustained thestruggle.
For a while after the capture of Breda there was breathing timein Holland, and Maurice was busy in increasing and improving hisarmy. Parma was fettered by the imperious commands of Philip, whohad completely crippled him by withdrawing a considerable number ofhis troops for service in the war which he was waging with France.But above all, the destruction of the Armada, and with it of thenaval supremacy of Spain, had changed the situation.
Holland was free to carry on her enterprises by sea, and had freecommunication and commerce with her English ally; while communicationbetween Spain and the Netherlands was difficult. Reinforcementscould no longer be sent by sea, and had to be sent across Europefrom Italy. Parma was worn out by exertions, disappointment, andannoyance, and his health was seriously failing; while opposedto him were three young commanders--Maurice, Lewis William, andFrancis Vere--all men of military genius and full of confidenceand energy.