CHAPTER V.
AN HEROIC DEFENCE.
The plan Roger Browne suggested was carried out. Geoffrey was firstlowered to his place by the side of the window, and bracing himselfagainst its side with a foot on the sill he managed to stand upright,leaning against the rope that Job Tredgold held from above. Job hadinstructions when Geoffrey lifted his arm to ease the rope a few inchesso as to enable the lad to lean forward. After two or three attemptsGeoffrey got the rope to the exact length which would enable him tolook round the corner and to strike a blow with his right hand, inwhich he held a stout club. Roger Browne then descended by the aid ofthe other rope, and fastening it round his body lay down astride of theroof of the window with his head and shoulders over the end, and hispistol held in readiness.
It seemed an age to Geoffrey before he heard the sound of a footstep inthe loft beside him. He grasped his cudgel firmly and leaned slightlyforward. For ten minutes there was quiet within, and Geoffrey guessedthat the traitor was writing the missive he was about to send to theenemy; then the footstep approached the window, and a moment later across-bow was thrust out. A glance at it sufficed to show that the boltwas enveloped in a piece of paper wound round it and secured with astring. Steadying himself as well as he could Geoffrey struck with allhis force down upon the cross-bow. The weapon, loosely held, wentclattering down the tiles. There was an exclamation of surprise andfury from within the window, and at the same moment Job Tredgold,seeing that Geoffrey's attempt had been successful, hauled away at therope and began to drag him backward up the tiles.
The lad saw a man lean out of the window and look up at him, then apistol was levelled; but the report came from above the window, and notfrom the threatening weapon. A sharp cry of pain was heard, as thepistol fell from the man's hand and followed the cross-bow down theroof. A few seconds later Geoffrey was hauled up to the ridge, where hewas at once joined by Roger Browne. Shifting the ropes they moved alongtill above the window from which they had issued. Geoffrey was firstlowered down. As soon as he had got in at the window he undid the ropeand Job Tredgold followed him, while Roger Browne slid down by the ropeattached to the grapnel; then they ran downstairs.
As soon as they sallied out below they saw that Lionel and the men withhim had captured a prisoner; and just as they joined the party theguard came round from the other side of the warehouse, bringing withthem the cross-bow, its bolt, and the pistol. The prisoner, whoseshoulder was broken by Roger Browne's shot, was at once taken toCaptain Vere's quarters. That officer had just arrived from the walls,knowing the time at which the capture would probably be made.
"So you have succeeded," he said. "Well done, lads; you have earned thethanks of all. We will take this man at once to the governor, who is atpresent at the town-hall."
By the time they issued out quite a crowd had assembled, for the newsthat William von Arnig had been brought a prisoner and wounded toCaptain Vere's quarters had spread rapidly. The crowd increased as theywent along, and Captain Vere and his party had difficulty in makingtheir way to the town-hall, many of the people exclaiming loudlyagainst this treatment of one of the leading citizens. The governorwas, when they entered, holding council with the English leader, SirRoger Williams.
"Why, what is this, Captain Vere?" he asked in surprise as thatofficer, accompanied by the two boys and followed by Roger Browne andJob Tredgold guarding the prisoner, entered.
"I have to accuse this man of treacherously communicating with theenemy," Francis Vere said.
"What?" Arnold de Groenvelt exclaimed in surprise. "Why, this isMynheer von Arnig, one of our most worshipful citizens! Surely, CaptainVere, there must be some error here?"
"I will place my evidence before you," Captain Vere said; "and it willbe for you to decide upon it. Master Geoffrey Vickars, please to informthe governor what you know about this matter."
Geoffrey then stated how he and his brother, being at the upper windowof the warehouse, had on two days in succession seen a cross-bowdischarged from a neighbouring window, and had noticed a Spanishsoldier come out of a battery and pick up something which they believedto be the bolt, and how he and his brother had reported thecircumstances to Captain Vere. That officer then took up the story, andstated that seeing the evidence was not conclusive, and it was probablethat if an attempt was made to arrest the person, whomsoever he mightbe, who had used the cross-bow, any evidence of treasonable designmight be destroyed before he was seized, he had accepted the offer ofMaster Vickars to climb the roof, lower himself to the window fromwhich the bolt would be shot, and, if possible, strike it from theman's hands, so that it would fall down the roof to the court-yardbelow, where men were placed to seize it.
Geoffrey then related how he, with the two soldiers guarding theprisoner, had scaled the roof and taken a position by the window; howhe had seen the cross-bow thrust out, and had struck it from the handsof the man holding it; how the latter had leaned out, and would haveshot him had not Roger Browne from his post above the window shot himin the shoulder.
"Here are the cross-bow and pistol," Captain Vere said; "and this isthe bolt as it was picked up by my men. You see, sir, there is a paperfastened round it. I know not its contents, for I judged it best toleave it as it was found until I placed it in your hands."
The governor cut the string, unrolled the paper and examined it. Itcontained a statement as to the state of the wall, with remarks whereit was yielding, and where the enemy had best shoot against it. It saidthat the defenders had in the night begun to form a half-moon behindit, and contained a sketch showing the exact position of the new work.
"Gentlemen, what think you of this?" the governor asked the Englishofficers.
"There can be no doubt that it is a foul act of treachery," Williamssaid, "and the traitor merits death."
"We will not decide upon it ourselves," the governor said. "I willsummon six of the leading citizens, who shall sit as a jury with us.This is a grave matter, and touches the honour of the citizens as wellas the safety of the town."
In a few minutes the six citizens summoned arrived. The evidence wasagain given, and then the prisoner was asked what he had to say in hisdefence.
"It is useless for me to deny it," he replied. "I am caught in the act,and must suffer for it. I have done my duty to the King of Spain, mysovereign; and I warn you he will take vengeance for my blood."
"That we must risk," the governor said. "Now, gentlemen, you citizensof this town now attacked by the Spaniards, and you, sir, who are incommand of the soldiers of the Queen of England, have heard theevidence and the answer the prisoner has made. What is your opinionthereon? Do you, Sir Roger Williams, being highest in rank andauthority, first give your opinion."
"I find that he is guilty of an act of gross treason and treachery. Forsuch there is but one punishment--death." And the six citizens all gavethe same decision.
"You are found guilty of this foul crime," the governor said, "and aresentenced to death. In half an hour you will be hung in themarket-place, as a punishment to yourself and a warning to othertraitors, if such there be in this town of Sluys. As to you, youngsirs, you have rendered a great service to the town, and have shown adiscernment beyond your years. I thank you in the name of the city andof its garrison, and also in that of the States, whose servant I am."
A guard of armed citizens were now called in, the prisoner was handedto them, and orders given to their officer to carry the sentence intoeffect. A statement of the crime of the prisoner, with the names ofthose who had acted as his judges, and the sentence, was then drawnout, signed by the governor, and ordered by him to be affixed to thedoor of the town-hall. The two lads, finding that they were no longerrequired, hastened back to their quarters, having no wish to be presentat the execution of the unhappy wretch whose crime they had been themeans of detecting.
A few days later considerable portions of the battered wall fell, andshortly afterwards a breach of two hundred and fifty paces long waseffected, and a bridge of large boats constructed by the e
nemy from thedyke to the foot of the rampart.
This was not effected without terrible loss. Hundreds of the bravestSpanish soldiers and sailors were killed, and three officers whosucceeded each other in command of the attack were badly wounded. TheSpanish had laboured under great difficulties owing to the lack ofearth to push their trenches forward to the edge of the moat, arisingfrom the surrounding country being flooded. They only succeeded at lastby building wooden machines of bullet-proof planks on wheels, behindeach of which four men could work. When all was prepared the Spaniardsadvanced to the attack, rushing up the breach with splendid valour,headed by three of their bravest leaders; but they were met by theEnglish and Dutch, and again and again hurled back.
Day and night the fighting continued, the Spaniards occasionallyretiring to allow their artillery to open fire again upon the shatteredruins. But stoutly as the defenders fought, step by step the Spaniardswon their way forward until they had captured the breach and the westgate adjoining it, there being nothing now beyond thehastily-constructed inner work between them and the town. The finestregiment of the whole of the Spanish infantry now advanced to theassault, but they were met by the defenders--already sadly diminishedin numbers, but firm and undaunted as ever,--and their pikes and theiraxes well supplied the place of the fallen walls.
Assault after assault was met and repulsed, Sir Roger Williams, ThomasBaskerville, and Francis Vere being always in the thick of the fight.Baskerville was distinguished by the white plumes of his helmet, Vereby his crimson mantle; and the valour of these leaders attracted theadmiration of the Duke of Parma himself, who watched the fight from thesummit of the tower of the western gate. Francis Vere was twicewounded, but not disabled. Sir Roger Williams urged him to retire, buthe replied that he would rather be killed ten times in a breach thanonce in a house.
Day by day the terrible struggle continued. The Spaniards were ableconstantly to bring up fresh troops, but the defenders had no relief.They were reduced in numbers from 1600 to 700 men, and yet for eighteendays they maintained the struggle, never once leaving the breach.
The pages brought their food to them, and when the attacks werefiercest joined in the defence, fighting as boldly and manfully as thesoldiers themselves. Geoffrey and Lionel kept in close attendance uponFrancis Vere, only leaving him to run back to their quarters and bringup the meals cooked for him and his two officers by Frau Menyn and herhandmaids. Both kept close to him during the fighting. They knew thatthey were no match in strength for the Spanish pikemen; but they hadobtained pistols from the armoury, and with these they did goodservice, several times freeing him from some of his assailants when hewas sorely pressed. On one occasion when Francis Vere was smitten downby a blow from an axe, the boys rushed forward and kept back hisassailants until some of the men of the company came to his aid.
"You have done me brave service indeed," Captain Vere said to them whenhe recovered; for his helmet had defended him from serious injury,though the force of the blow had felled him. "It was a happy thought ofmine when I decided to bring you with me. This is not the first timethat you have rendered me good service, and I am sure you will turn outbrave and valiant soldiers of the queen."
When each assault ceased the weary soldiers threw themselves downbehind the earthen embankment, and obtained such sleep as they couldbefore the Spaniards mustered for fresh attack. When, after eighteendays' terrible fighting, the Duke of Parma saw that even his besttroops were unable to break through the wall of steel, he desisted fromthe assault and began the slower process of mining. The garrison fromtheir look-out beheld the soldiers crossing the bridge with picks andshovels, and prepared to meet them in this new style of warfare.Captain Uvedale was appointed to command the men told off for thisduty, and galleries were run from several of the cellars to meet thoseof the enemy.
As every man was employed either on the rampart or in mining, many ofthe pages were told off to act as watchers in the cellars, and tolisten for the faint sounds that told of the approach of the enemy'sminers. As the young Vickars were in attendance on the officers, theywere exempted from this work; but they frequently went down into thecellars, both to watch the process of mining by their own men and tolisten to the faint sounds made by the enemy's workmen. One day theywere sitting on two wine-kegs, watching four soldiers at work at theend of a short gallery that had been driven towards the Spaniards.Suddenly there was an explosion, the miners were blown backwards, theend of the gallery disappeared, and a crowd of Walloon soldiers almostimmediately afterwards rushed in.
The boys sprang to their feet and were about to fly, when an ideaoccurred to Geoffrey. He seized a torch, and, standing by the side of abarrel placed on end by a large tier, shouted in Dutch, "Another stepforward and I fire the magazine!" The men in front paused. Through thefumes of smoke they saw dimly the pile of barrels and a figure standingwith a lighted torch close to one of them. A panic seized them, andbelieving they had made their way into a powder-magazine, and that inanother instant there would be a terrible explosion, they turned withshouts of "A magazine! a magazine! Fly, or we are all dead men!"
"Run, Lionel, and get help," Geoffrey said, and in two or three minutesa number of soldiers ran down into the cellar.
The Walloons were not long before they recovered from their panic.Their officers knew that the wine-cellars of the city were in front ofthem, and reassured them as to the character of the barrels they hadseen. They were, however, too late, and a furious conflict took placeat the entrance into the cellar, but the enemy, able only to advancetwo or three abreast, failed to force their way in.
Captain Uvedale and Francis Vere were soon on the spot, and when atlast the enemy, unable to force an entrance, fell back, the formersaid, "This is just as I feared. You see, the Spaniards drove thisgallery, and ceased to work immediately they heard us approaching them.We had no idea that they were in front of us, and so they only had toput a barrel of powder there and fire it as soon as there was but afoot or two of earth between us and them."
"But how was it," Francis Vere asked, "that when they fired it they didnot at once rush forward? They could have captured the whole buildingbefore we knew what had happened."
"That I cannot tell," Captain Uvedale replied. "The four men at workmust have been either killed or knocked senseless. We shall know betteranother time, and will have a strong guard in each cellar from whichour mines are being driven."
"If it please you, Captain Uvedale," Lionel said, "it was my brotherGeoffrey who prevented them from advancing; for indeed several of themhad already entered the cellar, and the gallery behind was full ofthem."
"But how did he do that?" Captain Uvedale asked in surprise.
Lionel related the ruse by which Geoffrey had created a panic in theminds of the Spaniards.
"That was well thought of indeed, and promptly carried out!" CaptainUvedale exclaimed. "Francis, these pages of yours are truly promisingyoung fellows. They detected that rascally Dutchman who was betrayingus. I noticed them several times in the thick of the fray at thebreach; and now they have saved the city by their quickness andpresence of mind; for had these Spaniards once got possession of thiswarehouse they would have speedily broken a way along through the wholetier, and could then have poured in upon us with all their strength."
"That is so, indeed," Francis Vere agreed. "They have assuredly savedthe town, and there is the greatest credit due to them. I shall beglad, Uvedale, if you will report the matter to our leader. You are incommand of the mining works, and it will come better from you than fromme who am their captain."
Captain Uvedale made his report, and both Sir Roger Williams and thegovernor thanked the boys, and especially Geoffrey, for the greatservice they had rendered.
Very shortly the galleries were broken into in several other places,and the battle became now as fierce and continuous down in the cellarsas it had before been on the breach. By the light of torches, in anatmosphere heavy with the fumes of gunpowder, surrounded by piled-upbarrels of wine, the defenders and as
sailants maintained a terribleconflict, men staggering up exhausted by their exertion and by thestifling atmosphere while others took their places below, and so, nightand day, the desperate struggle continued.
All these weeks no serious effort had been made for the relief of thehardly beleaguered town. Captains Hall and Allen had several times swumdown at night through the bridge of boats with letters from thegovernor entreating a speedy succour. The States had sent a fleet whichsailed some distance up the Zwin, but returned without making theslightest effort to break through the bridge of boats. The Earl ofLeicester had advanced with a considerable force from Ostend againstthe fortress of Blankenburg, but had retreated hastily as soon as Parmadespatched a portion of his army against him; and so the town was leftto its fate.
The last letter that the governor despatched said that longerresistance was impossible. The garrison were reduced to a mere remnant,and these utterly worn out by constant fighting and the want of rest.He should ask for fair and honourable terms, but if these were refusedthe garrison and the whole male inhabitants in the city, putting thewomen and children in the centre, would sally out and cut their waythrough, or die fighting in the midst of the Spaniards. The swimmer whotook the letter was drowned, but his body was washed ashore and theletter taken to the Duke of Parma.
Three days afterwards a fresh force of the enemy embarked in fortylarge boats, and were about to land on an unprotected wharf by theriver-side when Arnold de Groenvelt hung out the white flag. His powderwas exhausted and his guns disabled, and the garrison so reduced thatthe greater portion of the walls were left wholly undefended. The Dukeof Parma, who was full of admiration at the extraordinary gallantry ofthe defenders, and was doubtless also influenced by the resolutionexpressed in his letter by the governor, granted them most honourableterms. The garrison were to march out with all their baggage and arms,with matches lighted and colours displayed. They were to proceed toBreskans, and there to embark for Flushing. The life and property ofthe inhabitants were to be respected, and all who did not choose toembrace the Catholic faith were to be allowed to leave the townpeaceably, taking with them their belongings, and to go wheresoeverthey pleased.
When the gates were opened the garrison sallied out. The Duke of Parmahad an interview with several of the leaders, and expressed his highadmiration of the valour with which they had fought, and said that thesiege of Sluys had cost him more men than he had lost in the fourprincipal sieges he had undertaken in the Low Country put together. Onthe 4th of August the duke entered Sluys in triumph, and at once beganto make preparations to take part in the great invasion of England forwhich Spain was preparing.
After their arrival at Flushing Captains Vere, Uvedale, and others, whohad brought their companies from Bergen-op-Zoom to aid in the defenceof Sluys, returned to that town.
The Earl of Leicester shortly afterwards resigned his appointment asgeneral of the army. He had got on but badly with the States-General,and there was from the first no cordial cooperation between the twoarmies. The force at his disposal was never strong enough to doanything against the vastly superior armies of the Duke of Parma, whowas one of the most brilliant generals of his age, while he washampered and thwarted by the intrigues and duplicity of Elizabeth, whowas constantly engaged in half-hearted negotiations now with France andnow with Spain, and whose capricious temper was continuallyoverthrowing the best-laid plans of her councillors and paralysing theactions of her commanders. It was not until she saw her kingdomthreatened by invasion that she placed herself fairly at the head ofthe national movement, and inspired her subjects with her energy anddetermination.
Geoffrey Vickars had been somewhat severely wounded upon the last dayof the struggle in the cellar, a Spanish officer having beaten down hisguard and cleft through his morion. Lionel was unwounded, but thefatigue and excitement had told upon him greatly, and soon after theyarrived at Bergen Captain Vere advised both of them to return home fora few months.
"There is nothing likely to be doing here until the spring. Parma hasmore serious matter in hand. They talk, you know, of invading England,and after his experience at Sluys I do not think he will be wasting hisforce by knocking their heads against stone walls. I should be glad ifI could return too, but I have my company to look after and must remainwhere I am ordered; but as you are but volunteers and giving yourservice at your pleasure, and are not regularly upon the list of thepages of the company, I can undertake to grant you leave, and indeed Ican see that you both greatly need rest. You have begun well and haveboth done good service, and have been twice thanked by the governor ofSluys and Sir Roger Williams.
"You will do yourselves no good by being shut up through the winter inthis dull town, and as there is a vessel lying by the quay which is toset sail to-morrow, I think you cannot do better than go in her. I willgive you letters to my cousin and your father saying how well you haveborne yourselves, and how mightily Sir Roger Williams was pleased withyou. In the spring you can rejoin, unless indeed the Spaniards shouldland in England, which Heaven forfend, in which case you will probablyprefer to ride under my cousin's banner at home."
The boys gladly accepted Francis Vere's proposal. It was but threemonths since they had set foot in Holland, but they had gone through atremendous experience, and the thought of being shut up for eight ornine months at Bergen-op-Zoom was by no means a pleasant one. Both feltworn-out and exhausted, and longed for the fresh keen air of theeastern coast. Therefore the next morning they embarked on board ship.Captain Vere presented them each with a handsome brace of pistols intoken of his regard, and Captains Uvedale, Baskerville, and otherofficers who were intimate friends of Vere's, and had met them at hisquarters, gave them handsome presents in recognition of the servicesthey had rendered at Sluys.
The ship was bound for Harwich, which was the nearest English port.Landing there, they took passage by boat to Manningtree and thence byhorse home, where they astounded their father and mother by theirsudden appearance.
"And this is what comes of your soldiering," Mrs. Vickars said when thefirst greeting was over. "Here is Geoffrey with plasters all over theside of his head, and you, Lionel, looking as pale and thin as if youhad gone through a long illness. I told your father when we heard ofyour going that you ought to be brought back and whipped; but the earltalked him over into writing to Captain Francis to tell him that heapproved of this mad-brained business, and a nice affair it has turnedout."
"You will not have to complain of our looks, mother, at the end of aweek or two," Geoffrey said. "My wound is healing fast, and Lionel onlyneeds an extra amount of sleep for a time. You see, for nearly a monthwe were never in bed, but just lay down to sleep by the side of CaptainVere on the top of the ramparts, where we had been fighting all day."
"It was a gallant defence," Mr. Vickars said, "and all England istalking of it. It was wonderful that 800 English and as many Dutchmenshould hold a weak place for two months against full twelve times theirnumber of Spaniards, led by the Duke of Parma himself, and there isgreat honour for all who took part in the defence. The governor and SirRoger Williams especially mentioned Francis Vere as among the bravestand best of their captains, and although you as pages can have hadnought to do with the fighting, you will have credit as serving underhis banner."
"I think, father," Geoffrey said, touching the plasters on his head,"this looks somewhat as if we had had something to do with thefighting, and here is a letter for you from Captain Vere which willgive you some information about it."
Mr. Vickars adjusted his horn spectacles on his face and opened theletter. It began:
"My dear Master and Friend,--I have had no means of writing to yousince your letter came to me, having had other matters in hand, andbeing cut off from all communication with England. I was glad to findthat you did not take amiss my carrying off of your sons. Indeed thataction has turned out more happily than might have been expected, for Iown that they were but young for such rough service.
"However, they have proved themselves valiant young
gentlemen. Theyfought stoutly by my side during our long tussle with the Spaniards,and more than once saved my life by ridding me of foes who would havetaken me at a disadvantage. Once, indeed, when I was down from a blowon the pate from a Spanish axe, they rushed forward and kept myassailants at bay until rescue came. They discovered a plot between atraitor in the town and the Spaniards, and succeeded in defeating hisplans and bringing him to justice.
"They were also the means of preventing the Spaniards from breakinginto the great wine-cellars and capturing the warehouses, and for eachof these services they received the thanks of the Dutch governor and ofSir Roger Williams, our leader. Thus, you see, although so young theyhave distinguished themselves mightily, and should aught befall me,there are many among my friends who will gladly take them under theirprotection and push them forward. I have sent them home for a time tohave quiet and rest, which they need after their exertions, and havedone this the more willingly since there is no chance of fighting formany months to come. I hope that before the Spaniards again advanceagainst us I may have them by my side."
"Well, well, this is wonderful," Mrs. Vickars said when her husband hadfinished reading the letter. "If they had told me themselves I shouldnot have believed them, although they have never been given to the sinof lying; but since it is writ in Master Vere's own hand it cannot bedoubted. And now tell us all about it, boys."
"We will tell you when we have had dinner, mother. This brisk Essex airhas given us both an appetite, and until that is satisfied you mustexcuse us telling a long story. Is the earl at the castle, fatherbecause we have two letters to him from Captain Francis--one, Ibelieve, touching our affairs, and the other on private matters. Wehave also letters from him to his mother and his brother John, andthose we had better send off at once by a messenger, as also theprivate letters to the earl."
"That I will take myself," Mr. Vickars said. "I was just going up tohim to speak about my parish affairs when you arrived."
"You had better have your dinner first," Mrs. Vickars said decidedly."When you once get with the earl and begin talking you lose all accountof the time, and only last week kept dinner waiting for two hours. Itis half-past eleven now, and I will hurry it on so that it will beready a few minutes before noon."
"Very well, my dear; but I will go out into the village at once andfind a messenger to despatch to Cropping Hall with the letters to DameElizabeth and John Vere."
The boys' story was not told until after supper, for as soon as dinnerwas over Mr. Vickars went up to the castle with the letters for theearl. The latter, after reading them, told him that his cousin spokemost highly of his two sons, and said they had been of great service,even as far as the saving of his life. The earl told Mr. Vickars tobring the boys up next day to see him in order that he might learn afull account of the fighting at Sluys, and that he hoped they wouldvery often come in, and would, while they were at home, practise dailywith his master of arms at the castle. "I know, Mr. Vickars, that youhad hoped that one of them would enter the church; but you see thattheir tastes lie not in that direction, and it is evident that, as inthe case of my cousin Francis, they are cut out for soldiers."
"I am afraid so," Mr. Vickars said; "and I must let them have their ownway, for I hold that none should be forced to follow the ministry savethose whose natural bent lies that way."
"I don't think they have chosen badly," the earl said. "My cousinFrancis bids fair to make a great soldier, and as they start in life ashis pages they will have every chance of getting on, and I warrant methat Francis will push their fortunes. Perhaps I may be able to aidthem somewhat myself. If aught comes of this vapouring of theSpaniards, before the boys return to Holland, they shall ride with me.I am already arming all the tenantry and having them practised inwarlike exercises, and in the spring I shall fit out two ships atHarwich to join the fleet that will put to sea should the Spaniardscarry out their threats of invading us."