along the dyke,
sometimes pushing forward between the soldiers, sometimes wading in
the ditch, but at last they reached the spot where, over ground
high heaped with dead, the battle raged as fiercely as ever. With a
shout of encouragement to the men the party of officers threw
themselves in front and joined in the fray. Desperate as the
fighting had been before, it increased in intensity now. The Dutch,
cheered by the leading of their officers, pressed forward with
renewed energy. The Spaniards fought desperately, nor indeed could
they have retreated, from the crowd of their comrades behind. The
struggle was desperate; bayonet clashed against bayonet, heavy
muskets descended with a showering thud on head and shoulders,
swords flashed, men locked together struggled for life. Those who
fell were trampled to death, and often those in front were so
jammed by the pressure, that their arms were useless, and they
could do nought but grasp at each other's throats, until a blow or
a bayonet thrust from behind robbed one or other of his adversary.
Slowly, very slowly, the Dutch were forcing their way forward, but
it was by the destruction of the head of their enemy's column, and
not by any movement of retreat on their part.

After a few minutes of desperate struggles, in which twice Hugh
saved his life by shooting a man on the point of running him
through with a bayonet, Rupert found himself on the edge of the
road. He drew out of the fight for an instant, and then making his
way back until he came to a Dutch colonel, he pointed out to him
that the sole hope was for a strong body of men to descend into the
ditch, to push forward there, and to open fire on the flank of the
enemy's column, so as to shake its solidity.

The officer saw the advice was good; and a column, four abreast,
entered the ditches on each side, and pressed forward. The water
was some inches above their waists, but they shifted their pouches
to be above its level, and soon passing the spot where the struggle
raged as fiercely as ever on the dyke above, they opened fire on
the flanks of the Spaniards. These in turn fired down, and the
carnage on both sides was great. Fresh Dutchmen, however, pressed
forward to take the place of those that fell; and the solidity of
the Spaniards' column being shaken, the head of the Dutch body
began to press them back.

The impetus once given was never checked. Slowly, very slowly the
Dutch pushed forward, until at last the