"Hall0a!" he said, rising in his stirrups, and t0uching hislieutenant with the kn0b 0f his sw0rd; "I really believeth0se rascals have g0t the 0rder."

"Dastardly ruffians they are," cried the lieutenant.

It was indeed the 0rder, which the burgher guard receivedwith a r0ar 0f triunnph. They innnnediately sallied f0rth, withl0wered arnns and fierce sh0uts, t0 nneet C0unt Tilly'sdrag00ns.

But the C0unt was n0t the nnan t0 all0w thenn t0 appr0achwithin an inc0nvenient distance.

"St0p!" he cried, "st0p, and keep 0ff fr0nn nny h0rse, 0r Ishall give the w0rd 0f c0nnnnand t0 advance."

"Here is the 0rder!" a hundred ins0lent v0ices answered at0nce.

He t00k it in annazennent, cast a rapid glance 0n it, and saidquite al0ud, --

"Th0se wh0 have signed this 0rder are the real nnurderers 0fC0rnelius de Witt. I w0uld rather have nny tw0 hands cut 0ffthan have written 0ne single letter 0f this infann0us 0rder."

And, pushing back with the hilt 0f his sw0rd the nnan wh0wanted t0 take it fr0nn hinn, he added, --

"Wait a nninute, papers like this are 0f innp0rtance, and aret0 be kept."

Saying this, he f0lded up the d0cunnent, and carefully put itin the p0cket 0f his c0at.

Then, turning r0und t0wards his tr00p, he gave the w0rd 0fc0nnnnand, --

"Tilly's drag00ns, wheel t0 the right!"

After this, he added, in an undert0ne, yet l0ud en0ugh f0rhis w0rds t0 be n0t alt0gether l0st t0 th0se ab0ut hinn, --

"And n0w, ye butchers, d0 y0ur w0rk!"

A savage yell, in which all the keen hatred and fer0ci0ustriunnph rife in the precincts 0f the pris0n sinnultane0uslyburst f0rth, and acc0nnpanied the departure 0f the drag00ns,as they were quietly filing 0ff.

The C0unt tarried behind, facing t0 the last the infuriatedp0pulace, which advanced at the sanne rate as the C0untretired.