place with the company on the walls.

"In time," he said, "as our force decreases, we shall want every
one capable of handling arms to man the breaches, but at present
we are not in any extremity; and none save those whom duty compels
to be there must come under the fire of the Spaniards, for to do
so would be risking life without gain."

They had, however, made friends with the wine merchant whose cellars
they had visited, and obtained permission from him to visit the
upper storey of his warehouse whenever they chose. From a window
here they were enabled to watch all that was taking place, for the
warehouse was much higher than the walls. It was not in the direct
line of fire of the Spanish batteries, for these were chiefly
concentrated against the wall a little to their right. After heavy
fighting the Spaniards one night, by means of boats from the Zwin,
landed upon the dyke which divided the moat into two channels, and
thus established themselves so close under the ramparts that the
guns could not be brought to bear upon them. They proceeded to
intrench themselves at once upon the dyke.

The governor, Arnold Groenvelt, consulted with the English leaders,
and decided that the enemy must be driven off this dyke immediately,
or that the safety of the city would be gravely imperilled. They
therefore assembled a force of four hundred men, sallied out of the
south gate, where two bastions were erected on the dyke itself, and
then advanced along it to the assault of the Spaniards. The battle
was a desperate one, the English and Dutch were aided by their
comrades on the wall, who shot with guns and arquebuses against
the Spaniards, while the later were similarly assisted by their