Argosy, Vol. 1 (December 9, 1882) — page 394: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE CAPTAIN OF THE BURGHER GUARDS, 387 Strong in numbers and consequently fearless—at a time when no single man among them would have dared to lift his voice against the burgomaster’s edict—thcy were on the point of breaking into open rebellion against all con- stituted authority, when an incident occurred which completely confounded and subdued them. All at once, on the opposite side of the square, appeared a solitary horse- man, standing as motionless as an equestrian statue. He was at right angles to the rioters, his head turned askew and facing them. THE SOLITARY HORSEMAN STOOD AS MOTIONLESS AS AN EQUESTRIAN STATUE. He had taken up his position in front of the church of St. Pancras, with its high brick tower surmounted by two pointed turrets, and with two ancient lime trees at its entrance. There he had halted—a tall, haggard, imposing figure, with dark visage, and a tranquil but commanding eye. His cap was plumed, and a long, black mantle, fastened at the throat, hung down over his horse's flanks, yet not low enough to conceal the point of a burnished scab- bard. The axmen, flushed with their defiance of the law as with a victory, had descended from the portico, and, still borne upon the shoulders of their sym- pathizers, were making their way in triumph across the square, when they sud- denly became aware of this man’s scrutiny. “°Tis Adrian Van der Werf!” cried one, leaping down into the crowd to avoid recognition. At the same instant the others dropped from the shoulders of their sup- porters and disappeared. comicoooks.conn