What do the men of Zeeland care about darkness? They can find their way over these waters for these waters are their native land. One dark shadow comes after another; they sail on in a straight line--no noise is heard on board, even the rudder runs noiselessly through the waves. Words of command go from mouth to mouth in whispers. Each one on board knows what his duty is, each one is bound by the most solemn of oaths to stick a knife through his neighbour's jaw if his neighbour, by making a noise or by crying out thoughtlessly, jeopardizes the success of the enterprise. Each one on board will abide by his oath, even were it to mean that he was thus obliged to stab his own brother, father or son. A light comes up on the left--Fort Lillo! A light comes up on the right--Fort Liefkenhoek! The cries of the Spanish sentries fall clearly and audibly on every ear on board the black galley and its accompanying convoy. Each knife, each grappling hook is kept in readiness. The concealed fuses glimmer near the weapons. The hearts of these daring men are beating strongly. "Keep good watch! Keep good watch!" can be heard echoing into the distance. A great danger lies behind these bold seamen now. Long live the luck of the sea beggars! What's that shimmering on the right? The lights of Dorf and Fort Callao. What is flickering on the Brabant side of the river? The lights of the village of Ordam. How still it is now in this frightful place where the bridge of Alexander Farnese once stood, the engineering wonder of the century! What genius once shone here! What blood once flowed here! On this spot Giovanni Baptista Plato and Barocci once worked. On this spot Gianibelli's fireship wreaked havoc and filled the air, the water and the surrounding countryside with ruins and mutilated bodies. Even now, after so many years, many a citizen of Antwerp with republican sympathies, wakes from sleep at night and thinks he has been woken up by the crack of a great explosion that might have been the town's salvation and wasn't. Soundlessly the black galley glides on over these baleful waters with its shadowy convoy in tow. "Keep watch! Keep good watch!" goes the cry from the earthworks of San Pedro and Santa Barbara. Behold the lights of Predigerhof, the lights of Fort Maria, the lights of Fort Ferdinand! A bell, muffled and solemn, chimes in the darkness--the bell in the tower of Our Lady's church in Antwerp. Two o'clock! The captain of the black galley is at his post, drawn sword in hand, but another is taking the ship through the darkness of this night. Were the slightest beam of light to fall on the face of this steersman, you would be startled when you saw his face. Jan Norris, Myga's betrothed, Myga who is still a prisoner on the Andrea Doria, Jan Norris who has left his love in the power of his deadliest enemy, Jan Norris who did not jump to his death from the deck of that Genoese galleon, Jan Norris is steering the black galley tonight!