Revolutionary War on Wednesday (3 page)

“What's the matter, Captain?” another asked.

“I heard something,” said the captain. He held up his musket.

Jack stopped breathing.

“Who's there?” the captain shouted.

Jack looked at Annie. She shrugged.

“We're caught,” she whispered.

“Who's there?” the captain shouted again.

“Just two kids,” Annie answered in a small voice.

“Come out and show yourselves!” the captain said.

Jack and Annie stood up from behind the rock. They both held up their hands.

“We come in peace,” said Annie.

In the shadowy twilight, the captain moved toward them.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“We're Jack and Annie,” said Annie.

“Why were you spying on us?” he asked.

“We weren't spying,” said Jack. “We just wanted to know if you were redcoats or patriots.”

“Which would you like us to be?” the shadowy figure asked.

“Patriots,” said Jack.

“We
are
patriots,” the captain said.

“Thank goodness!” said Annie.

The captain smiled.

“Where are you from?” he asked. His voice had softened.

“We're visiting relatives nearby,” Jack said.

“Frog Creek, Pennsylvania,” said Annie at the same time.

“But that's amazing!” the captain said. “My farm is in Frog Creek. Where is your farm?”

Jack didn't know how to answer.

“It's near the Frog Creek woods,” said Annie.

“All farms are near woods,” the man said with a laugh. “What—”

Just then, someone called from up the river. “It's time, Captain!”

The captain turned to the other men near the campfire. “It's time!” he repeated.

The soldiers quickly put out their fire. They stood with their muskets on their shoulders.

“Time for what, Captain?” Annie asked.

“Time to meet up with our commander-in-chief,” he said. “Return to your family now so your mother and father won't worry about you.”

“Yes, sir,” said Jack.

“It is nice to see children,” the captain said. “I was just trying to write a letter to my own son and daughter. I didn't know what to say.”

“Tell them that you miss them,” said Annie.

The man smiled.

“And I do, indeed,” he said softly.

Then he turned and headed up the riverbank. His ragged men followed behind. Soon they all disappeared into the cold mist.

Jack looked around. The wind was blowing harder. The snow was sticking to the ground.

“What now?” he asked.

More than anything, he wanted to go back home. With the soldiers gone, the riverbank felt lonely and scary.

“We still have to find
something to send
,” said Annie.

“I know,” said Jack.

“Maybe we should just follow the captain and his men,” said Annie. “They might lead us to something.”

Jack wasn't sure that was a good idea. But he didn't have a better one.

“Okay. But let's try not to get caught this time,” he said.

He and Annie took off through the frozen twilight, following the snowy footprints of the American patriots.

Jack and Annie ran along the riverbank. The wind whooshed over the cold water. Wet snowflakes hissed in the dark.

But then Jack heard other sounds. He heard voices, lots of voices.

He and Annie soon came upon hundreds and hundreds of soldiers gathered near the dark river.

Many carried oil lanterns. The lanterns gave an eerie glow to the snowy twilight.

“The captain and his men must be here somewhere,” said Jack, looking around.

Boats like giant canoes were tied near the river. Men were leading horses and loading cannons onto the boats.

“What are they all doing?” said Annie.

Jack pulled out their Revolutionary War book. He read in a whisper:

“December 25? That's Christmas!” said Annie. “Today's Christmas!”

“Cool,” said Jack. He started reading again:

“A
secret
mission? Oh, man … ,” said Jack.

He started to pull out his notebook.

“Attention, troops! The commander-in-chief!” a soldier shouted.

Jack and Annie saw a man in a dark cape and a three-cornered hat ride up on a white horse.

The commander-in-chief loomed above the crowd of soldiers. His cape flapped in the wind.

He sat calmly and with dignity on the back of his horse.

Even at a distance, Jack thought the commander-in-chief looked familiar,
very
familiar. But he couldn't figure out why.

“A dangerous mission lies before you all,” the man shouted above the wind. “But I want you to have courage. You must remember the words of Thomas Paine.”

The commander-in-chief held up a piece of paper. He read to his men:

“ ‘These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country. But he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.… ' ”

“Wow, that's great,” whispered Annie.

Listening to the powerful words, Jack felt his spirits rise, too.

“ ‘The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph,' ” the commander-in-chief read on. “ ‘What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly. It is dearness only that gives everything its value.' ”

There was a silence, as if everyone were thinking about the words the man had read. Then the soldiers started cheering and clapping. They didn't seem tired at all anymore. Now they seemed eager to set out on their mission.

The commander-in-chief saluted his men. He steered his horse toward the river.

As the horse moved past them, Jack got a better look at the rider.

He gasped.

Of course!
he thought. He'd seen that face before—on dollar bills!

Jack grabbed Annie's arm.

“I know who the commander-in-chief is!” he exclaimed. “He's
George Washington!
”

“George Washington? Really?” said Annie.

“Yeah, I think he is!” said Jack.

“Wow! Where'd he go?” said Annie. “I want to see him again! Come on!”

She started toward the river.

“Wait—don't go far,” said Jack. “I just want to make sure it's him.”

He opened the Revolutionary War book. He found a picture of the boats on the riverbank. He read:

“Oh, man, it
is
him,” said Jack.

He pulled out his notebook and wrote:

“Hey, what are you writing?” someone asked.

Jack looked up.

A bearded soldier was pointing at him.

Jack shoved the Revolutionary War book and his notebook into his bag.

“Nothing, sir,” he said. He started walking away.

The man shouted after Jack. But Jack ran down toward the river and lost himself in a crowd of soldiers.

When he looked over his shoulder, he was relieved. The bearded man was nowhere in sight.

“Stop, young man!” Someone shone a lantern right in Jack's face.

Jack gasped.

It was the captain.

“I told you to go home, Jack,” the captain said sternly. “Where's your sister?”

Jack looked around. Where
was
Annie?

“I don't know,” he said.

“Find her at once and go back to your family!” the captain ordered. “Our secret mission is very important. Children will only get in the way.”

“Yes, sir!” said Jack.

The captain started to leave. But he stopped.

“I wonder if you could do me a favor, Jack?” he asked.

“Sure,” said Jack.

The captain pulled out his letter.

“This is my letter to my children,” he said. “It's a farewell letter. Would you please take it back with you to Frog Creek?”

“Yes, sir,” said Jack.

“You must only send it if you hear that we have failed in our mission and many patriots were lost,” said the captain.

“Yes, sir,” said Jack.

The captain handed his letter to Jack.

“I copied the general's speech for my children,” the captain said. “If anything bad happens to me, I hope those words will give them courage.”