The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-08-02
The Last Enterprise of Martin Schenh

The Last Enterprise of Martin Schenk.
On the evening Of the 10Th OF August
1899, there WAS a wedding feast in one of til,
splendid mansions of the statel Y city o!
Nymsgen in Netherlands. The testiv it;e'
were prolonged until deep in the midsum
mers night, ard harp and yiol We're still in
spring the feet of the dancers, when on
sudden, in the midst Of the holiday ay-groups
appeared the grim vissage of Martin Schenk
the man who never smiled. Clad in no wed
ding garment, but in armor Of proof, will
morton on head, and sword in hand. the great
freebooter strode heavily through the ball
room, followed by 4 party Of those terrible
musketeers who never gave or asked for quar-
ter while the alfrigh,ed revelsrs iiuit,ret
away before them. Taking advantage Of ii
dark night, he had just dropped down The
river from his castle. with tiyeandtwen,s
barees. had landed with his most trusted so,-
diers in the foremost vessels, had battered
down tn. gate Of St. Anthony and surprised
and slain the guard. Without waiting Cor
the rest Of his boats, he had then stolen Wit.
his comrades through the silent streets. ala
torn away the lat,ics-work. and other Sigh,
detsnces on the rear 0. the housr which they
had now entered. and through which they i'll
tended to posseeS themselves Z: the mark,
place. Martin had long since selected th.>
mansion As a proper position .or Els enter
prise, but he had not been hidden To the wed
ding, and was somewhat d:scoMccrte! .hea
he found himself on the festive scene whic;
hc Lad so g:mly interrupted. Some Of tn
mcrry-ma.ers escaped from III. house. al.
proceeded TO alarm the town: while Schcna
hastily fortified his position, aad took posses
sion Of the square. But the burchers Al,
garrison were soon on foot. ami he was drive,
back into the house. Three times he reco,-
cred the square by main strength OF his owl
arm, seconded by the handful OF men whom
he had brought with him, and three times b,
was beaten back by overwhelming numbers
into the wedding mansion. The arrival o
the greater part Of his followers. with who's,
assistance he coI.d easily have mastered IL,
city in the first moments OF surprise. W.
mysteriously delayed. He could not accoun
for their prolonged absence. and was mean
while supported only by those who lad AZ
rived with him in the foremost barg.S.
The truth-of which he was ignorant Vas
that the remainder of the ilotila. borne aion;
by the strong and deep current Of the Waal
! then in state of ireshct, had Sho, past III.
landing place, and had ever since been vain,
struggling against wind and tide TO fore,
their way back TO the necessary point
, Meantime Schenk and his followers fouga
desperately in the market place. and desper
ately in the house which he had seized. Bu
, whole garrison, and town full of citizen
in arms proved too much for him, and he Va
now hotly besieged in the mansion. and 4
| last driven forth into the streets.
By this time day was dawning, the whoi
population, soldiers and burghcrs. men. We
men and children, were thronginS about IL
little band of marauders and assailing then
with every weapon and every missile to b
found. Schenk fought with his usual feroci
ty, but at last the musketeers, in spite of hi
indignant commands, began rapid, to retrea
towards the quay. In vain Martin storme,
and cursed, in vain with his own hand h
struck more than one Of his soldiers dead
He was swept along with the panic strickel
band, and when, shouting and gnashing hi
teeth with frenzy, he reached the quay at last
he saw at glance why his great enterprls
had failed. The few empty barges of his owl
party were moored at the steps; the res
were half mile off, contending hopelessl
against the swollen and rapid WAL. Schenl'
desperately wounded, was left almost alon
upon the wharf, for his routed followers ha
plunged helter-skelter into the boats, seTera
of which, overladen in the panic, sank at once
leaving the soldiers to drown or strugg lie Wit
the waves. The game was lost, Nothin
was left the freebooter but retreat. Rcluc'
antly turning lis back on his enemies, no'
in full CRY close behind him, Schenk spran
into the last remaining boat Just pushin
from the quay. Already overladen, it ;our
dered with his additional weight, and MART
Schenk, encountered with his heavy armo
| sank at once to the bottom Of the Waal.
Some of the fugitives succeeded in swim
ming down the stream, and were picked u
, by their comrades in the barses below tt
! town, and SO made their escape. Many wei
: drowned with their captain. A few days a
:. terwards, the inhabitants Of Nymengen iisht
e up the body of the famous partisan. He VI;