Joris was white and stern in his emotion; Bram stood by the reader, with
a face as bright as a bridegroom's; Hyde's lips were drawn tight, and
his eyes were flashing with the true military flame. "Father," he said,
"take mother and Katherine to church; Bram and I will stay here, for I
can see that there is something to be done."
"God help us! Yes, I will go to Him first;" and, taking his wife and
daughter, he passed with them out of the crowd.
Hyde turned to the reader, who stood with bent brows, and the paper in
his hand. "Well, sir, what is to be done?" he asked.
"There are five hundred stand of arms in the City Hall; there are men
enough here to take them. Let us go."
A loud cry of assent answered him.
"My name is Richard Hyde, late of his Majesty's Windsor Guards; but I am
with you, heart and soul."
"I am Marinus Willet."
"Then, Mr. Willet, where first?"
"To the mayor's residence. He has the keys of the room in which the arms
are kept."
The news spread, no one knew how; but men poured out from the churches
and the houses on their route, and Willet's force was soon nearly a
thousand strong. The tumult, the tread, the animus of the gathering,
was felt in that part of the city even where it could not be heard.
Joris could hardly endure the suspense, and the service did him very
little good. About two o'clock, as he was walking restlessly about the
house, Bram and Hyde returned together.
"Well?" he asked.
"There were five hundred stand of arms in the City Hall, and I swear
that we have taken them all. A man called Willet led us; a hero, quick
of thought, prompt and daring,--a true soldier."
"I know him well; a good man."
"The keys the mayor refused to us," said Bram.
"Oh, sir, he lied to us! Vowed he did not have them, and sent us to the
armourer in Crown Street. The armourer vowed that he had given them to
the mayor."
"What then?"
"Oh, indeed, all fortune fitted us! We went en masse down Broadway
into Wall Street, and so to the City Hall. Here some one, with too nice
a sense of the sabbath, objected to breaking open the doors because of
the day. But with very proper spirit Willet replied, 'If we wait until
to-morrow, the king's men will not wait. The arms will be removed. And
as for a key, here is one that will open any lock.' As he said the
words, he swung a great axe around his head; and so, with a few blows,
he made us an entrance. Indeed, I think that he is a grand fellow."