Page:Augusta Seaman--Jacqueline of the carrier pigeons.djvu/281

Rh and raise a defending corps to guard the breach. Stay thou here with good Joris Fruytiers, and I will take the small boat and a pair of oars, and row to the side  where I can get through the scattering army,  and into Dirk Willumhoog’s clever little entrance!”

So Jacqueline acquiesced, and watched her brother row away with much trepidation and  many unuttered prayers for his safety. Darkness soon shut each boat from the sight of the other, but Gysbert paddled on keeping clear of floating debris as best he could,  and trying hard to ascertain through the  blackness just what was his location. Several times he found himself far out of his course, and thus more than one valuable  hour was lost. At length, however, the water became too shallow to continue rowing, and  he disembarked, tying the boat to a tree. By several signs he recognized the spot to be near where he had come out of the hidden tunnel, several weeks ago. Of the