"George Washington? Really?" said Annie.
"Yeah, I think he is!" said Jack.
'Wow! Where'd he go?" said Annie. "I want to seehim again! Come on!" She started toward the river.
"Wait--don't go far," said Jack. "I just want to makesure it's him."He opened the Revolutionary War book. He found apicture of the boats on the river-bank. He read:
When General George Washington gathered histroops by the Delaware River, he was commander-inchiefof the whole American army. The general ledthe army for six years, until America became a freeand independent nation. In 1789, he was elected thefirst president of the new United States.
"Oh, man, it is him," said Jack.
He pulled out his notebook and wrote:
General George Washington helped Americabecome independent.
"Hey, what are you writing?" someone asked.
Jack looked up.
A bearded soldier was pointing at him.
Jack shoved the Revolutionary War book and hisnotebook into his bag.
"Nothing, sir," he said. He started walking away.
The man shouted after Jack. But Jack ran downtoward the river and lost himself in a crowd ofsoldiers.
When he looked over his shoulder, he was relieved.
The bearded man was nowhere in sight.
"Stop, young man!" Someone shone a lantern rightin Jack's faceJack gasped.
It was the captain.
.
"I told you to go home, Jack," the captain saidsternly. "Where's your sister?"Jack looked around. Where was Annie? "I don'tknow," he said.
"Find her at once and go back to your family!" thecaptain ordered. "Our secret mission is veryimportant. Children will only get in the way."9"Yes, sir!" said Jack.
The captain started to leave. But he stopped.
"I wonder if you could do me a favor, Jack?" heasked.
"Sure," said Jack.
The captain pulled out his letter.
"This is my letter to my children," he said. "It's afarewell letter. Would you please take it back withyou to Frog Creek?""Yes, sir," said Jack.
"You must only send it if you hear that we havefailed 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," thecaptain said. "If anything bad happens to me, I hopethose words will give them courage."The captain then turned and disappeared into thecrowd.
"Good luck, Captain!" Jack called. He hoped hewould never have to send the letter to the man'schildren.
Suddenly, Jack clutched the letter to his chest.
"Send!" he whispered.
This letter was the writing they'd been looking for-somethingto send! He and Annie could go homenow! Their mission was over!
Jack shoved the captain's letter into his bag. Nowhe just had to find Annie. As he looked around, heshivered. "Where is she?" he muttered.
Jack started moving through the crowd, looking forAnnie.
It was hard to see. The wind was blowing harder.
The snow fell faster.
Jack started to panic. "Annie!" he called..
As he wove quickly in and out of the crowd, hekept calling for her. None of the soldiers noticed him.
They were all too busy.
Finally, Jack came to the river.
Through the lamplit mist, he saw soldiers waitingto get into the boats. Some had already climbedaboard.
"Jack!" came a cry.
Jack saw the figure of a small girl. She was sittingin the back of the biggest boat.
"No way," he whispered.
Jack charged down to the boat. He stood at the edgeof the water.
10"What are you doing?" Jack shouted.
"This is George Washington's boat," Annie said.
"It's our big chance to spend time with him! We mightnot get another one."Jack looked at the other end of the huge boat.
Through the mist and falling snow, he saw thecommander-in-chief talking to his crew.
"We can't go with him," said Jack. "We'll get in theway of his secret mission. Besides, we havesomething to send now!""What? How?" said Annie.
"A letter! The captain gave me his letter to takeback to Frog Creek!" said Jack.
"We're only supposed to send it if something badhappens to the captain. We can go home now!""Oh, can't we go a little later?" Annie asked.
Jack climbed into the boat to pull her out.
"No, come on," he said, taking her hand.
Suddenly, the crew moved to the back of the boat,near Jack and Annie. The men grabbed their oars andstarted pushing the boat away from the shore.
"We're taking off," said Annie.
"No! We have to get out!" Jack said to the rowers.
But the men were working too hard to payattention. They were using their oars to hack up theice at the edge of the river.
"Excuse me," Jack said in a loud voice.
Just then, the boat jolted forward. Jack nearly losthis balance.
The boat broke through more ice. Rough wavessloshed against its sides.
"We have to go back!" said Jack.
"Too late," said Annie.
They were headed across the Delaware River! |