clearer and gayer than usual, summoned rescuers and rescued to the churches to pray.  The spacious sanctuary was too small for the worshippers, and when the pastor, Corneliussohn, who filled the place of the good Verstroot, now ill from caring for so many sufferers, called upon the congregation to give thanks, his exhortation had long since been anticipated; from the first notes of the organ, the thousands who poured into the church had been filled with the same eager longing, to utter thanks, thanks, fervent thanks.

In the Grey Sisters’ chapel Father Damianus also thanked the Lord, and with him Nicolas Van Wibisma and other Catholics, who loved their native land and liberty.

After church Adrian, holding a piece of bread in one hand and his shoes in the other, waded at the head of his school-mates through the higher meadows to Leyderdorp, to see the Spaniards’ deserted camp.  There stood the superb tent of General Valdez, in which, over the bed, hung a map of the Rhine country, drawn by the Netherlander Beeldsnijder to injure his own nation.  The boys looked at it, and a Beggar, who had formerly been in a writing-school and now looked like a sea-bear, said: 

“Look here, my lads.  There is the Land-scheiding.

“We first pierced that, but more was to be done.  The green path had many obstacles, and here at the third dyke—­they call it the Front-way—­there were hard nuts to crack, and farther progress was impossible.  We now 45 returned, made a wide circuit across the Segwaertway, and through this canal here, where there was hard fighting, to North-Aa.  The Zoetermeer Lake now lay behind us, but the water became too shallow and we could get no farther.  Have you seen the great Ark of Delft?  It’s a huge vessel, moved by wheels, by which the water is thrust aside.  You’ll be delighted with it.  At last the Lord gave us the storm and the spring-tide.  Then the vessels had the right depth of water.  There was warm work again at the Kirk-way, but the day before yesterday we reached Lammen.  Many a brave man has fallen on both sides, but at Lammen every one expected the worst struggle to take place.  We were going to attack it early this morning, but when day dawned everything was unnaturally quiet in the den, and moreover, a strange stillness prevailed.  Then we thought:  Leyden has surrendered; starvation conquered her.  But it was nothing of the sort!  You are people of the right stamp, and soon after a lad about as large as one of you, came to our vessel and told us he had seen a long procession of lights move out of the fort during the night and march away.  At first we wouldn’t believe him, but the boy was right.  The water had grown too hot for the crabs, and the lights the lad saw were the Spaniards’ lunts.  Look, children, there is Lammen—­”

Adrian had gone close to the map with his companions and now interrupted the Beggar by laughing loudly.

“What is it, curly-head?” asked the latter.