As the difficulty of their task became more apparent, the yells of fury of the crowd increased.  Many of them were half drunk, and their wild gestures and shouts, the waving of their torches, and the brandishing of knives and axes, made the scene a sort of pandemonium.

Ten minutes had passed since the first attack, and still the stairs were held.  One of the defenders lay dead, with his head cloven to his shoulders with a poleaxe, but another had taken his place.

Suddenly, from behind, the figure of a man bounded down the stairs from the gallery, and with a cry of “Die, villain!” struck Rupert with a dagger with all his strength, and then bounded back into the gallery.  Rupert fell headlong amid his assailants below.

Hugh and Joe Sedley, with a shout of rage and horror, dashed from their places, sword in hand, and leaping headlong down the stairs, cutting and hewing with their heavy swords, swept all opposition back, and stood at the foot, over the body of Rupert.

The three Dutchmen and Van Duyk followed their example, and formed a group round the foot of the stairs.  Then there was a wild storm of falling blows, the clash of sword and axe, furious shouts, loud death cries, a very turmoil of strife; when there was a cry at the door of “The watch!” and then a loud command: 

“Cut the knaves down!  Slay every man!  Dort!  Dort!”

There was a rush now to escape.  Down the passages fled the late assailants, pursued by the burgher guard, who, jealous of the honour of their town, injured by this foul attack upon a leading citizen, cut down all they came upon; while many who made their escape through the windows by which they had entered, were cut down or captured by the guard outside.  The defenders of the stairs made no attempt at pursuit.

The instant the burgher guard entered the hall, Hugh and Joe threw down their bloodstained swords, and knelt beside Rupert.

“Ough!” sighed the latter, in a long breath.

“Thank God!  He is not dead.”

“Dead!” Rupert gasped, “not a bit of it; only almost trodden to death.  One of my stout friends has been standing on me all the time, though I roared for mercy so that you might have heard me a mile off, had it not been for the din.”

“But are you not stabbed, Master Rupert?”

“Stabbed!  No; who should have stabbed me?  One of you somehow hit me on the back, and down I went; but there is no stab.”

“He had a dagger.  I saw it flash,” Hugh said, lifting Rupert to his feet.

“Had he?” Rupert said; “and who was he?

“If it was an enemy, it is your coat of mail has saved me,” he continued, turning to Van Duyk.  “I have never taken it off since.  But how did he get behind me I wonder?

“Run,” he continued energetically, “and see if the lady is safe.  There must have been mischief behind.”

Mynheer van Duyk, closely followed by the others, ran upstairs to his daughter’s room.  The door was open.  He rushed into the room.  It was empty.  The window was open; and looking out, two ladders were seen, side by side.