gate, "It
will be many a long day before he is again within the walls of Leyden,
for ere long the Spaniards, if I mistake not, will be in possession of
them."

In the evening the burgomaster, accompanied by his daughter and nephew
and Albert, had ascended to the top of the Tower of Hengist, when
Albert, whose eyes were of the sharpest, exclaimed, pointing over the
city to the eastward, "See, see, there come a large body of men; they
must be either the troops the Prince has promised to send to our
assistance, or the Spaniards."

The rest of the party gazed in the same direction. "They form the
advance guard of our foes," said the burgomaster. "Albert and Berthold,
hasten and give the information to the commandant; he will take good
care that the walls are forthwith manned, though the Spaniards, after a
day's march, will be in no mood to make an attack when they know full
well that we shall give them as warm a reception as did our friends at
Alkmaar."

In a few minutes the bells of all the churches were ringing forth the
well-known call to arms, and the citizens, with their weapons in hand,
were seen hurrying to man the forts and ramparts. The burgomaster, with
Jaqueline, remained some time longer on the top of the tower that he
might judge what positions the Spanish general was likely to take. The
head of the leading column advanced till it reached a spot just beyond
range of the guns in the batteries, then it halted to wait for the
arrival of other troops; these quickly followed, the whole force
numbering not less than eight thousand men, Walloons and Germans. Some
immediately took possession of Leyderdorp, and of the other forts which
ought to have been destroyed, while others, armed with pickaxes and
spades, without a moment's loss of time began throwing up fresh lines
and forts, a third party being employed in pitching the tents and
forming a camp just beyond them. All night long a vigilant watch was
kept, as it was very possible that the Spaniards might attempt to
surprise the city in the hopes of capturing it at once, and saving
themselves from the annoyance and sufferings of a protracted siege.
Young Albert and Berthold together went the rounds to see that the
sentries were at their posts and wide awake, and that no post was left
without a sufficient guard. No experienced officers could have been
more on the alert. More than once they met the commandant, who,
entrusting nothing of importance to others