Page:Augusta Seaman--Jacqueline of the carrier pigeons.djvu/280

254 of Lammen, less than five hundred rods from the city. Here he was obliged to halt, for it swarmed with soldiers, bristled with  artillery, and defied the fleet to either capture it by force, or pass under its guns. The Admiral hoped to carry the fort next morning, but he expected a stiff battle.

Joris Fruytiers was to join the rear of the flotilla and help to swell its numbers. Plainly it was no situation for Jacqueline, in the midst of these battle-thirsty Beggars of  the Sea, and yet no safer place could be found  for her at present. So it was decided that she should remain on board, but Gysbert’s  head was full of another plan for himself:

“I must get into the city somehow! It would be horrible, with relief so near, to have  that scoundrel, Dirk, lead in a Spanish regiment and bring about an untimely surrender,” he urged. “What is more, I have not a minute to spare, for to-morrow night  the deed is to be done. If I can get in to-night it will be time enough to warn the