“You know me?” Paciotto gasps.
“Too well!” cries the throng, who now have hands on him.
“Too well!” mutters De Ryk, “But I’ll save you from immediate damnation,” and he and Guy and one or two of his officers with drawn swords protect these three men, who in another minute would have been hacked to pieces by the Beggars of the Sea. For these sea rovers, having drunk victory at the Briel, are now drunk with blood also, having requited in kind upon the [[125]]Spaniard some of the butcheries of the last five years—one or two of the most ferocious eating Castilian heart with gusto and drinking Italian blood con amore. Every one of them has some butchered brother or murdered father or outraged wife to make him as inhuman as his foes. What chance has any officer of Alva’s with such a mob? Guy soon finds Paciotto has not even choice of his manner of death.
While De Ryk and he save the Italian from immediate violence a number of the Gueux have boarded the little Spanish sloop in which he came and butchered the hapless crew with wild shouts of joy and triumph.
A moment after the Italian is dragged to the Raadhuis where Van Tresslong, who commands, is in consultation with the Burgomaster, “Schout” and other officials of the town; most of his captains being with him.
“By our martyrs,” cries the Dutch vice-admiral, “this day is fortunate. Here is one of Alva’s very pets right in our hands—a court-martial for the Italian gentleman!”
“I beg for law of war, William de Blois, Lord of Tresslong,” says Paciotto, quite haughtily, though hope has left his face.
“The same law of war that Alva gave to my murdered brother, when he executed him with seventeen other nobles in the Brussels horse market,” answers the Fleming.
“Yes, justice and mercy,” jeers one of his captains. “The same justice that Alva gave to my father when he cried for quarter at Jemmingen. The same mercy that De Bossu, but two days since, gave at Rotterdam.”
“With such judges I am condemned beforehand,” sighs the Italian, as Van Tresslong and his officers take seats about a drum head.