Page:Augusta Seaman--Jacqueline of the carrier pigeons.djvu/222

196 He held out his arms a moment, then dropped them at his side.

Instantly a great shout of approval went up from the multitude. In the twinkling of an eye the threats were changed to cries of  encouragement to the city and defiance to the  enemy, transmuted by the persistent, dogged  courage of one man standing absolutely  alone!

“Long live Adrian Van der Werf!” they shouted. “We will indeed fight to the end!” And leaving the two standing on the steps of St. Pancras, the crowd rushed to the walls  where they remained all day hurling renewed  defiance at the Spaniards.

When the mob had deserted them. Van der Werf escorted Jan to Belfry Lane and  left him at the door, after which he proceeded  with firmer step and easier mind to his daily  duties at the statehouse. But when Jan reached Vrouw Voorhaas’s room, he sat suddenly down in a chair and looked hard at the  doctor, who noticed that the old man’s