The Dutch captains yet look very solemn; if this cold continues, the ice will still enclose their vessels and they must be attacked by the great army at Amsterdam, who will never forgive them now they have slain four hundred of the best Spanish troops.
“It will take miracles to save us now!” remarks ’t Hoen. “The tide must rise—the wind must come—the ice must melt all at one time. It has happened, but no man has ever seen it, so I suppose old Jan Veeder, our dominé, would call it a miracle—Jan Veeder, who will preach my funeral sermon next week!”
But that very night the providence of God that sent the cold, gives them one chance of escape, the last of that winter, for the miracle does happen. The strong wind and high tide and mild thawing weather come together and the tide is high enough for them to pass [[185]]over the Pampus. The wind blows the sea about smashing the rotten ice and bellies out their sails as the four ships, setting every rag they can carry, beat their way to the north, and the next morning are safe in their harbor of Enkhuyzen.
But Chester knows very little about this. He is raving with the fever of his wound.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE BERSERKER OATH.
In the course of time Chester recovers from Spanish bullet wound, though not very rapidly, the surgery of that day being crude, unscientific and quite often deadly. When he regains his strength he finds the Dover Lass frozen in at the harbor of Enkhuyzen.
Guy perceives they have made a terrible mistake in sailing to the northward. Had they remained at Delft they would probably by this time have got the girl out of Haarlem over the frozen lake.
Now, between them and the hapless city stands the great dyke along the Y, patrolled by Alva’s soldiers, protected by Alva’s forts, cutting off North Holland effectually from giving succor to the besieged.