by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER XV
NED RECEIVES PROMOTION
It was fortunate for Ned that the watch round the city had relaxedgreatly when he started from it. The soldiers were discontented atthe arrangement that had been made for the city to pay an immensesum of money to escape a general sack. They were all many months inarrear of their pay. They had suffered during the siege, and theynow considered themselves to be cheated of their fair reward.The sum paid by the city would go into the hands of the duke; andalthough the soldiers were promised a share of the prize money,the duke's necessities were so great that it was probable littleof the money would find its way into the hands of the troops.
A sack upon the other hand was looked upon as a glorious lottery.Every one was sure to gain something. Many would obtain mostvaluable prizes of money or jewelry. No sooner, therefore, hadHaarlem surrendered than a mutinous spirit began to show itselfamong the troops; they became slack in obeying the orders of theirofficers, refused to perform their duties, and either gatheredin bodies to discuss their wrongs or sulked in their tents. Thusthe work of keeping a vigilant watch round the walls by night, toprevent the escape of the victims selected to satiate the vengeanceof Don Frederick, was greatly relaxed.
After lowering himself from the walls Ned proceeded with greatcaution. On reaching the spot where he expected to meet witha cordon of sentries, he was surprised at finding everything stilland quiet. Unaware of the state of things in the camp, and suspectingthat some device had perhaps been hit upon with the view of inducingmen to try to escape from the city, he redoubled his precautions,stopping every few paces to listen for the calls of the sentries,or a heavy tread, or the clash of arms. All was silent, and hecontinued his course until close to the camps of some of the Germanregiments. Incredible as it seemed to him, it was now evident thatno sentries had been posted. He saw great fires blazing in thecamps, and a large number of men standing near one of them; theywere being addressed by a soldier standing upon a barrel.
Keeping in the shadow of the tents, Ned made his way close up tothe group, and the similarity of the German language to the Dutchenabled him to gather without difficulty the meaning of the speaker'swords. He was recounting to the soldiers the numberless toils andhardships through which they had passed in the service of Spain,and the ingratitude with which they were treated.
"They pretend they have no money!" he exclaimed, "it is not true.Spain has the wealth of the Indies at her back, and yet she grudgesus our pay for the services we have faithfully rendered her. Whyshould we throw away our lives for Spain? What do we care whethershe is mistress of this wretched country or not? Let us resolve,brethren, to be moved neither by entreaties or threats, but toremain fast to the oath we and our Spanish comrades have sworn,that we will neither march a foot nor lift an arm until we havereceived our pay; and not only our pay, but our share of the bootythey have stolen from us."
The shouts of approval that greeted the speech showed that thespeaker's audience was thoroughly in accord with him. Ned waitedto hear no further orations, he understood now the withdrawal ofthe sentries. It was another of the mutinies that had so frequentlybroken out among the Spanish forces in the Netherlands. Makinghis way out through the other side of the camp he proceeded on hisjourney. The news was important, for if the mutiny continued itwould give the Prince of Orange time to prepare for the forwardmarch of the enemy. He passed several other camps, but observedeverywhere the same slackness of discipline and the absence ofmilitary precaution.
All night he pushed forward without stopping, and as soon as thegates of Leyden were opened he entered. Upon inquiring he foundthat the prince was at Delft, and hiring a horse he at once rodethere. The prince received him with real pleasure.
"And so you have escaped safe and sound from the siege, MasterMartin? Truly your good fortune is wonderful. I am glad indeed tosee you. Tell me how goes it in Haarlem. Rumours reached me thatthere, as at other towns, they have broken their oaths, and aremassacring the whole population."
"It is not so bad as that, sir," Ned replied. "They have put todeath numbers of the principal citizens and all refugees they coulddiscover in the city, but there has been no regular sack. The womenhave not been ill treated, and although five executioners were keptbusily at work there has been nothing like a general massacre."
"Thank God for that," the prince said piously. "That has eased mymind. I feared that the horrors of Zutphen and Naarden had beenre-enacted."
"I have another piece of good news to give you, sir. As I passedthrough their camps, I learned that all the troops, German aswell as Spanish, are in open mutiny, and have sworn that they willneither march nor fight until they receive all arrears of pay."
"That is good news indeed!" the prince exclaimed. "It will give usbreathing time, of which we are sadly in need. Were the Spaniardsto march forward now, they could sweep over Holland, for I couldnot put a thousand men in the field to withstand them. And now,Master Martin, what shall I do for you? You have received as yetno reward whatever for the great service you rendered us by thesuccessful carrying out of your mission to Brussels, to say nothingof the part you have borne in the defence of Haarlem. I know thatyou joined us from pure love of our cause and hatred of Spanishtyranny, still that is no reason why I should not recognize yourservices. If you would like it, I would gladly appoint you to thecommand of a company of volunteers."
"I thank you greatly, your highness," replied Ned; "but I am fartoo young to command men, and pray that you will allow me to remainnear your person, and to perform such service as you may think mecapable of."
"If that be your wish, it shall be so for the present," the princereplied; "and it is pleasant to me in these days, when almostevery noble in the Netherlands puts a price on his services, andwhen even the cities bargain for every crown piece they advance, tofind one who wants nothing. But now you need rest. When I am moreat leisure you shall furnish me with further details of what tookplace inside Haarlem during the siege."
The long defence of Haarlem, the enormous expenditure which it hadcost, both in money and life, for no less than 10,000 soldiers hadfallen in the assault or by disease, induced Alva to make anotherattempt to win back the people of Holland, and three days afterNed's return a proclamation was sent to every town.
He adopted an affectionate tone: "Ye are well aware," began theaddress, "that the king has over and over again manifested hiswillingness to receive his children, in however forlorn a conditionthe prodigals might return. His majesty assures you once more thatyour sins, however black they may have been, shall be forgiven andforgotten in the plentitude of royal kindness, if you will repentand return in season to his majesty's embrace. Notwithstandingyour manifold crimes, his majesty still seeks, like a hen callingher chickens, to gather you all under the parental wing."
This portion of the document, which was by the order of themagistrates affixed to the doors of the town halls, was receivedwith shouts of laughter by the citizens, and many were the jokesas to the royal hen and the return of the prodigals. The conclusionof the document afforded a little further insight into the affectionatedisposition of the royal bird. "If," continued the proclamation,"ye disregard these offers of mercy, and receive them with closedears as heretofore, then we warn you that there is no rigouror cruelty, however great, which you are not to expect, by layingwaste, starvation, and the sword. In such manner that nowhere shallremain a relic of that which at present exists, but his majestywill strip bare and utterly depopulate the land, and cause it to beinhabited again by strangers, since otherwise his majesty would notbelieve that the will of God and of his majesty had been accomplished."
This proclamation produced no effect whatever; for the people ofHolland were well aware that Philip of Spain would never grant thatreligious toleration for which they were fighting, and they knewalso that no reliance whatever could be placed in Spanish promisesor oaths. For a month Alva was occupied in persuading the troopsto return to their duty, and at last managed to raise a sufficientsum of money to pay each
man a portion of the arrears due to him,and a few crowns on account of his share of the ransom paid by Haarlem.During this breathing time the Prince of Orange was indefatigablein his endeavours to raise a force capable of undertaking the reliefof such towns as the Spanish might invest.
This, however, he found well nigh impossible. The cities wereall ready to defend themselves, but in spite of the danger thatthreatened they were chary in the extreme in contributing money forthe common cause, nor would the people enlist for service in thefield. Nothing had occurred to shake the belief in the invincibilityof the Spanish soldiery in fair fight in the open, and the disasterswhich had befallen the bodies of volunteers who had endeavoured torelieve Haarlem, effectually deterred others from following theirexample. The prince's only hope, therefore, of being able to puta force into the field, rested upon his brother Louis, who wasraising an army of mercenaries in Germany.
He had little assurance, however, that relief would come from thisquarter, as the two armies he had himself raised in Germany hadeffected absolutely nothing. His efforts to raise a fleet weremore successful. The hardy mariners of Zeeland were ready to fighton their own element, and asked nothing better than to meet theSpaniards at sea. Nevertheless the money had to be raised for thepurchase of vessels, stores, artillery, and ammunition. Ned wasfrequently despatched by the prince with letters to magistratesof the chief towns, to nobles and men of influence, and alwaysperformed his duties greatly to the prince's satisfaction.
As soon as the Duke of Alva had satisfied the troops, preparationsbegan for a renewal of hostilities, and the prince soon learnt thatit was intended that Don Frederick should invade Northern Hollandwith 16,000 men, and that the rest of the army, which had latelyreceived further reinforcements, should lay siege to Leyden. Theprince felt confident that Leyden could resist for a time, but hewas very anxious as to the position of things in North Holland. Inthe courage and ability of Sonoy, the Lieutenant Governor of NorthHolland, the prince had entire confidence; but it was evident bythe tone of his letters that he had lost all hope of being ableto defend the province, and altogether despaired of the successof their cause. He had written in desponding tones at the utterlyinsufficient means at his disposal for meeting the storm that wasabout to burst upon the province, and had urged that unless theprince had a good prospect of help, either from France or England,it was better to give up the struggle, than to bring utter destructionupon the whole people.
The letter in which the prince answered him has been preserved, andwell illustrates the lofty tones of his communications in thiscrisis of the fate of Holland. He reprimanded with gentle but earnesteloquence the despondency and want of faith of his lieutenant andother adherents. He had not expected, he said, that they would haveso soon forgotten their manly courage. They seemed to consider thewhole fate of the country attached to the city of Haarlem. He tookGod to witness that he had spared no pains, and would willinglyhave spared no drop of his blood to save that devoted city.
"But as, notwithstanding our efforts," he continued, "it has pleasedGod Almighty to dispose of Haarlem according to His divine will,shall we, therefore, deny and deride His holy word? Has His church,therefore, come to nought? You ask if I have entered into a firmtreaty with any great king or potentate, to which I answer thatbefore I ever took up the cause of the oppressed Christians inthese provinces I had entered into a close alliance with the Kingof kings; and I am firmly convinced that all who put their trustin Him shall be saved by His Almighty hand. The God of armies willraise up armies for us to do battle with our enemies and His own."
In conclusion he detailed his preparations for attacking theenemy by sea as well as by land, and encouraged his lieutenant andthe population of the northern province to maintain a bold frontbefore the advancing foe. That Sonoy would do his best the princewas sure; but he knew how difficult it is for one who himselfregards resistance as hopeless to inspire enthusiasm in others,and he determined to send a message to cheer the people of NorthHolland, and urge them to resist to the last, and to intrust it toone who could speak personally as to the efforts that were beingmade for their assistance, and who was animated by a real enthusiasmin the cause.
It was an important mission; but after considering the variouspersons of his household, he decided to intrust it to the lad whohad showed such courage and discretion in his dangerous missionto Brussels. A keen observer of character, the prince felt that hecould trust the young fellow absolutely to do his best at whateverrisk to himself. He had believed when he first joined him that Nedwas some eighteen years of age, and the year that had since elapsedwith its dangers and responsibilities had added two or three yearsto his appearance.
It was the fashion in Holland to entirely shave the face, and Ned'ssmooth cheeks were therefore no sign of youth. Standing over theaverage height of the natives of Holland, with broad shoulders andwell set figure, he might readily pass as a man of three or fourand twenty. The prince accordingly sent for the lad.
"I have another mission for you, Master Martin; and again a dangerousone. The Spaniards are on the point of marching to lay siege toAlkmaar, and I wish a message carried to the citizens, assuring themthat they may rely absolutely upon my relieving them by breakingdown the dykes. I wish you on this occasion to be more than amessenger. In these despatches I have spoken of you as one, CaptainMartin, who possesses my fullest confidence. You would as you saybe young to be a captain of a company of fighting men, but as anofficer attached to my household you can bear that rank as well asanother.
"It will be useful, and will add to your influence and authority,and I have therefore appointed you to the grade of captain, ofwhich by your conduct you have proved yourself to be worthy. Yourmission is to encourage the inhabitants to resist to the last, torouse them to enthusiasm if you can, to give them my solemn promisethat they shall not be deserted, and to assure them that if I cannotraise a force sufficient to relieve them I will myself come roundand superintend the operation of cutting the dykes and laying thewhole country under water. I do not know whether you will find thelieutenant governor in the city, but at any rate he will not remainthere during the siege, as he has work outside. But I shall giveyou a letter recommending you to him, and ask him to give you hiswarmest support."
The prince then took off the gold chain he wore round his neck, andplaced it upon Ned. "I give you this in the first place, CaptainMartin, in token of my esteem and of my gratitude for the perilousservice you have already rendered; and secondly, as a visible markof my confidence in you, and as a sign that I have intrusted youwith authority to speak for me. Going as you now do, it will bebest for you to assume somewhat more courtly garments in order todo credit to your mission. I have given orders that these shallbe prepared for you, and that you shall be provided with a suitof armour, such as a young noble would wear. All will be preparedfor you this afternoon. At six o'clock a ship will be in readinessto sail, and this will land you on the coast at the nearest pointto Alkmaar. Should any further point occur to you before evening,speak to me freely about it."
Ned retired depressed rather than elated at the confidence theprince reposed in him, and at the rank and dignity he had bestowedupon him. He questioned, too, whether he had not done wrong in notstating at once when the prince had, on his first joining him, setdown his age at over eighteen, that he was two years under thatage, and he hesitated whether he ought not even now to go to himand state the truth. He would have done so had he not known howgreat were the labours of the prince, and how incessantly he wasoccupied, and so feared to upset his plans and cause him freshtrouble.
"Anyhow," he said to himself at last, "I will do my best; and I coulddo no more if I were nineteen instead of seventeen. The prince haschosen me for this business, not because of my age, but because hethought I could carry it out; and carry it out I will, if it be inmy power."
In the afternoon a clothier arrived with several suits of handsomematerial and make, out of sober colours, such as a young man ofgood family would wear, and an armourer brought him a
morion andbreast and back pieces of steel, handsomely inlaid with gold. Whenhe was alone he attired himself in the quietest of his new suits,and looking at himself in the mirror burst into a fit of heartylaughter.
"What in the world would my father and mother and the girls saywere they to see me pranked out in such attire as this? They wouldscarce know me, and I shall scarce know myself for some time.However, I think I shall be able to play my part as the prince'srepresentative better in these than I should have done in the dressI started in last time, or in that I wore on board the Good Venture."
At five o'clock Ned paid another visit to the prince, and thankedhim heartily for his kindness towards him, and then received a fewlast instructions. On his return to his room he found a corporaland four soldiers at the door. The former saluted.
"We have orders, Captain Martin, to place ourselves under yourcommand for detached duty. Our kits are already on board the ship;the men will carry down your mails if they are packed."
"I only take that trunk with me," Ned said, pointing to the onethat contained his new clothes; "and there is besides my armour,and that brace of pistols."
Followed by the corporal and men, Ned now made his way down tothe port, where the captain of the little vessel received him withprofound respect. As soon as they were on board the sails werehoisted, and the vessel ran down the channel from Delft through theHague to the sea. On the following morning they anchored soon afterdaybreak. A boat was lowered, and Ned and the soldiers landed on thesandy shore. Followed by them he made his way over the high rangeof sand hills facing the sea, and then across the low cultivatedcountry extending to Alkmaar. He saw parties of men and womenhurrying northward along the causeways laden with goods, and leadingin most instances horses or donkeys, staggering under the weightsplaced upon them.
"I think we are but just in time, corporal. The population of thevillages are evidently fleeing before the advance of the Spaniards.Another day and we should have been too late to get into the town."
Alkmaar had been in sight from the time they had crossed the dunes,and after walking five miles they arrived at its gates.
"Is the lieutenant governor in the town?" Ned asked one of thecitizens.
"Yes, he is still here," the man said. "You will find him at thetown hall."
There was much excitement in the streets. Armed burghers were standingin groups, women were looking anxiously from doors and casements;but Ned was surprised to see no soldiers about, although he knewthat the eight hundred whom the prince had despatched as a garrisonmust have arrived there some days before. On arriving at the townhall he found the general seated at table. In front of him were agroup of elderly men whom he supposed to be the leading citizens,and it was evident by the raised voices and angry looks, both ofthe old officer and of the citizens, that there was some seriousdifference of opinion between them.
"Whom have we here?" Sonoy asked as Ned approached the table.
"I am a messenger, sir, from the prince. I bear these despatchesto yourself, and have also letters and messages from him to thecitizens of Alkmaar."
"You come at a good season," the governor said shortly, taking thedespatches, "and if anything you can say will soften the obstinacyof these good people here, you will do them and me a service."
There was silence for a few minutes as the governor read the letterNed had brought him.
"My good friends," he said at last to the citizens, "this is CaptainMartin, an officer whom the prince tells me stands high in hisconfidence. He bore part in the siege of Haarlem, and has otherwisedone great service to the state; the prince commends him mosthighly to me and to you. He has sent him here in the first placeto assure you fully of the prince's intentions on your behalf. Hewill especially represent the prince during the siege, and from hisknowledge of the methods of defence at Haarlem, of the arrangementsfor portioning out the food and other matters, he will be ableto give you valuable advice and assistance. As you are aware, Iride in an hour to Enkhuizen in order to superintend the generalarrangement for the defence of the province, and especially foraffording you aid, and I am glad to leave behind me an officer whois so completely in the confidence of the prince. He will firstdeliver the messages with which he is charged to you, and then wewill hear what he says as to this matter which is in dispute betweenus."
The passage of Ned with his escort through the street had attractedmuch attention, and the citizens had followed him into the hall inconsiderable numbers to hear the message of which he was no doubtthe bearer. Ned took his place by the side of the old officer,and facing the crowd began to speak. At other times he would havebeen diffident in addressing a crowded audience, but he felt thathe must justify the confidence imposed on him, and knowing thepreparations that were being made by the prince, and his intenseanxiety that Alkmaar should resist to the end, he began withouthesitation, and speedily forgot himself in the importance of thesubject.
"Citizens of Alkmaar," he began, "the prince has sent me speciallyto tell you what there is in his mind concerning you, and how histhoughts, night and day, have been turned towards your city. Notonly the prince, but all Holland are turning their eyes towardsyou, and none doubt that you will show yourselves as worthy, asfaithful, and as steadfast as have the citizens of Haarlem. Youfight not for glory, but for your liberty, for your religion, forthe honour and the lives of those dear to you; and yet your gloryand your honour will be great indeed if this little city of yoursshould prove the bulwark of Holland, and should beat back from itswalls the power of Spain. The prince bids me tell you that he isdoing all he can to collect an army and a fleet.
"In the latter respect he is succeeding well. The hardy seamen ofHolland and Zeeland are gathering round him, have sworn that theywill clear the Zuider Zee of the Spaniards or die in the attempt.As to the army, it is, as you know, next to impossible to gatherone capable of coping with the host of Spain in the field; buthappily you need not rely solely upon an army to save you in yourneed. Here you have an advantage over your brethren of Haarlem.There it was impossible to flood the land round the city; and thedykes by which the food supply of the Spaniards could have beencut off were too strongly guarded to be won, even when your noblegovernor himself led his forces against them.
"But it is not so here. The dykes are far away, and the Spaniardscannot protect them. Grievous as it is to the prince to contemplatethe destruction of the rich country your fathers have won from thesea, he bids me tell you that he will not hesitate; but that, asa last resource, he pledges himself that he will lay the countryunder water and drown out the Spaniards to save you. They havesworn, as you know, to turn Holland into a desert--to leave nonealive in her cities and villages. Well, then; better a thousandtimes that we should return it to the ocean from which we won it,and that then, having cast out the Spaniards, we should renew thelabours of our fathers, and again recover it from the sea."
A shout of applause rang through the hall.
"But this," Ned went on, "is the last resource, and will not betaken until nought else can be done to save you. It is for you,first, to show the Spaniards how the men of Holland can fight fortheir freedom, their religion, their families, and their homes.Then, when you have done all that men can do, the prince will proveto the Spaniards that the men of Holland will lay their countryunder water rather than surrender."
"Does this prince solemnly bind himself to do this?" one of theelder burghers asked.
"He does; and here is his promise in black and white, with his sealattached."
"We will retire, and let you have our answer in half an hour."
Ned glanced at the governor, who shook his head slightly.
"What! is there need of deliberation?" Ned asked in a voice thatwas heard all over the hall. "To you, citizens at large, I appeal.Of what use is it now to deliberate? Have you not already sent adefiant answer to Alva? Are not his troops within a day's march ofyou? Think you that, even if you turn traitors to your country andto your prince, and throw open the gates, it would save you now?Did submissi
on save Naarden? How many of you, think you, wouldsurvive the sack? and for those who did so, what would life be worth?They would live an object of reproach and scoffing among all trueHollanders, as the men of the city who threatened what they darednot perform, who were bold while Alva was four days' march away,but who cowered like children when they saw the standards of Spainapproaching their walls. I appeal to you, is this a time to hesitateor discuss? I ask you now, in the name of the prince, are you truemen or false? Are you for Orange or Alva? What is your answer?"
A tremendous shout shook the hall.
"We will fight to the death! No surrender! Down with the council!"and there were loud and threatening shouts against some of themagistrates. The governor now rose:
"My friends," he said, "I rejoice to hear your decision; and nowthere is no time for idle talk. Throw open the gates, and callin the troops whom the prince has sent to your aid, and whom yourmagistrates have hitherto refused to admit. Choose from amongyourselves six men upon whom you can rely to confer with me andwith the officer commanding the troops. Choose good and worshipfulmen, zealous in the cause. I will see before I leave today that yourmagistracy is strengthened. You need now men of heart and actionat your head. Captain Martin, who has been through the siege ofHaarlem, will deliberate with twelve citizens whom I will selectas to the steps to be taken for gathering the food into magazinesfor the public use, for issuing daily rations, for organizing thewomen as well as the men for such work as they are fit. There ismuch to be done, and but little time to do it, for tomorrow theSpaniard will be in front of your walls."
In an hour's time the 800 troops marched in from Egmont Castle andEgmont Abbey, where they had been quartered while the citizens werewavering between resistance and submission. Four of the citizens,who had already been told off for the purpose, met them at thegate and allotted them quarters in the various houses. GovernorSonoy was already in deliberation with the six men chosen by thetownspeople to represent them. He had at once removed from themagistracy an equal number of those who had been the chief opponentsof resistance; for here, as in other towns, the magistrates hadbeen appointed by the Spaniards.
Ned was busy conferring with the committee, and explaining to themthe organization adopted at Haarlem. He pointed out that it was afirst necessity that all the men capable of bearing arms should bedivided into companies of fifty, each of which should select itsown captain and lieutenant; that the names of the women should beinscribed, with their ages, that the active and able bodied shouldbe divided into companies for carrying materials to the walls,and aiding in the defence when a breach was attacked; and that theold and feeble should be made useful in the hospitals and for suchother work as their powers admitted. All children were to join thecompanies to which their mothers belonged, and to help as far asthey could in their work. Having set these matters in train, Nedrejoined the governor.
"I congratulate you, Captain Martin, upon the service you haverendered today. Your youth and enthusiasm have succeeded where myexperience failed. You believe in the possibility of success, andthus your words had a ring and fervour which were wanting in mine,fearing as I do, that the cause is a lost one. I wondered much whenyou first presented yourself that the prince should have given hisconfidence to one so young. I wonder no longer. The prince nevermakes a mistake in his instruments, and he has chosen well thistime.
"I leave the city tonight, and shall write to the prince fromEnkhuizen telling him how you have brought the citizens roundto a sense of their duty; and that whereas, at the moment of yourarrival I believed the magistrates would throw open the gatestomorrow, I am now convinced the city will resist till the last.In military matters the officer in command of the troops will ofcourse take the direction of things; but in all other matters you,as the prince's special representative, will act as adviser of theburghers. I wish I could stay here and share in the perils of thesiege. It would be far more suitable to my disposition than arguingwith pig headed burghers, and trying to excite their enthusiasmwhen my own hopes have all but vanished."
The officer commanding the garrison now entered, and the governorintroduced Ned to him.
"You will find in Captain Martin, one who is in the prince'sconfidence, and has been sent here as his special representative,an able coadjutor. He will organize the citizens as they wereorganized at Haarlem; and while you are defending the walls he willsee that all goes on in good order in the town, that there is noundue waste in provisions, that the breaches are repaired as fastas made, that the sick and wounded are well cared for, and thatthe spirits of the townspeople are maintained."
"That will indeed be an assistance," the officer said courteously."These details are as necessary as the work of fighting; and it isimpossible for one man to attend to them and to see to his militarywork."
"I shall look to you, sir, for your aid and assistance," Ned saidmodestly. "The prince is pleased to have a good opinion of me; butI am young, and shall find the responsibility a very heavy one, andcan only hope to maintain my authority by the aid of your assistance."
"I think not that you will require much aid, Captain Martin," thegovernor said. "I marked you when you were speaking, and doubt notthat your spirit will carry you through all difficulties." Thatnight was a busy one in Alkmaar. Few thought of sleeping, andbefore morning the lists were all prepared, the companies mustered,officers chosen, posts on the walls assigned to them, and everyman, woman, and child in Alkmaar knew the nature of the duties theywould be called upon to perform. Just before midnight the governorleft.
"Farewell, young man," he said to Ned; "I trust that we may meetagain. Now that I have got rid of the black sheep among the magistracyI feel more hopeful as to the success of the defence."
"But may I ask, sir, why you did not dismiss them before?"
"Ah! you hardly know the burghers of these towns," Sonoy said,shaking his head. "They stand upon their rights and privileges, andif you touch their civic officers they are like a swarm of angrybees. Governor of North Holland as I am, I could not have interferedwith the magistracy even of this little town. It was only becauseat the moment the people were roused to enthusiasm, and because theyregarded you as the special representative of the prince, that Iwas able to do so. Now that the act is done they are well contentwith the change, especially as I have appointed the men they themselveschose to the vacant places. It was the same thing at Enkhuizen--Icould do nothing; and it was only when Sainte Aldegonde came withauthority from the prince himself that we were able to get rid ofAlva's creatures. Well, I must ride away. The Spaniards are encampedabout six miles away, and you may expect to see them soon afterdaybreak."
It was indeed early in the morning that masses of smoke were seenrising from the village of Egmont, telling the citizens of Alkmaarthat the troopers of Don Frederick had arrived. Alkmaar was but asmall town, and when every man capable of bearing arms was musteredthey numbered only about 1300, besides the 800 soldiers. It was onthe 21st of August that Don Frederick with 16,000 veteran troopsappeared before the walls of the town, and at once proceeded toinvest it, and accomplished this so thoroughly that Alva wrote,"It is impossible for a sparrow to enter or go out of the city."There was no doubt what the fate of the inhabitants would be ifthe city were captured. The duke was furious that what he consideredhis extraordinary clemency in having executed only some 2400persons at the surrender of Haarlem should not have been met withthe gratitude it deserved.
"If I take Alkmaar," he wrote to the king, "I am resolved not toleave a single person alive; the knife shall be put to every throat.Since the example of Haarlem has proved to be of no use, perhapsan example of cruelty will bring the other cities to their senses."