staff, carefully made fast at the top.

Affairs soon approached a crisis within the beleaguered city. Daily
skirmishes, without decisive result; had taken place outside the walls.
At last, on the 18th of September, after a steady cannonade of nearly
twelve hours, Don Frederic, at three in the afternoon, ordered an
assault. Notwithstanding his seven months' experience at Harlem, he
still believed it certain that he should carry Alkmaar by storm. The
attack took place at once upon the Frisian gate and upon the red tower on
the opposite side. Two choice regiments, recently arrived from Lombardy;
led the onset, rending the air with their shouts, and confident of an
easy victory. They were sustained by what seemed an overwhelming force
of disciplined troops. Yet never, even in the recent history of Harlem,
had an attack been received by more dauntless breasts. Every living man
was on the walls. The storming parties were assailed with cannon, with
musketry, with pistols. Boiling water, pitch and oil, molten lead, and
unslaked lime, were poured upon them every moment. Hundreds of tarred
and burning hoops were skilfully quoited around the necks of the
soldiers, who struggled in vain to extricate themselves from these fiery
ruffs, while as fast as any of the invaders planted foot upon the breach,
they were confronted face to face with sword and dagger by the burghers,
who hurled them headlong into the moat below.

Thrice was the attack renewed with ever-increasing rage--thrice repulsed
with unflinching fortitude. The storm continued four hours long. During
all that period, not one of the defenders left his post, till he dropped
from it dead or wounded. The women and children, unscared by the balls
flying in every direction, or by the hand-to-hand conflicts on the
ramparts; passed steadily to and fro from the arsenals to the
fortifications, constantly supplying their fathers, husbands, and