Duyk followed their example, and formed
a group round the foot of the stairs. Then there was a wild storm
of falling blows, the clash of sword and axe, furious shouts, loud
death cries, a very turmoil of strife; when there was a cry at the
door of "The watch!" and then a loud command:

"Cut the knaves down! Slay every man! Dort! Dort!"

There was a rush now to escape. Down the passages fled the late
assailants, pursued by the burgher guard, who, jealous of the
honour of their town, injured by this foul attack upon a leading
citizen, cut down all they came upon; while many who made their
escape through the windows by which they had entered, were cut down
or captured by the guard outside. The defenders of the stairs made
no attempt at pursuit.

The instant the burgher guard entered the hall, Hugh and Joe threw
down their bloodstained swords, and knelt beside Rupert.

"Ough!" sighed the latter, in a long breath.

"Thank God! He is not dead."

"Dead!" Rupert gasped, "not a bit of it; only almost trodden to
death. One of my stout friends has been standing on me all the
time, though I roared for mercy so that you might have heard me a
mile off, had it not been for the din."

"But are you not stabbed, Master Rupert?"

"Stabbed! No; who should have stabbed me? One of you somehow hit me
on the back, and down I went; but there is no stab."

"He had a dagger. I saw it flash," Hugh said, lifting Rupert to his
feet.

"Had he?" Rupert said; "and who was he?

"If it was an enemy, it is your coat of mail has saved me," he
continued, turning to Van Duyk. "I have never taken it off since.
But how did he get behind me I wonder?

"Run," he continued energetically, "and see if the lady is safe.
There must have been mischief behind."

Mynheer van Duyk, closely followed by the others, ran upstairs to
his daughter's room. The door was open. He rushed into the room. It
was empty. The window was open; and looking out, two ladders were
seen, side by side.

It was clear that while the fray had been raging, Maria von Duyk
had been carried off.

Chapter 15: The End of a Feud.

After the first cry of rage and grief at the discovery of the
abduction of Maria van Duyk, there was a moment's silence. Rupert
broke it, laying his hand on the shoulder of Van Duyk, who had
dropped despairingly into a chair.

"We will find her," he said, "wherever she be. Let us lose no
moments in sorrow. Call up the burgomaster, or whoever leads t