Revolutionary War on Wednesday - Mary Pope Osborne [7]
“No, I was just … ” Now Jack was at a loss for words.
“Seize them!” the major shouted. “They’re spies!”
Jack grabbed Annie’s hand.
“We’re not spies!” he said.
He whirled around to face George Washington.
“General Washington, remember those words you said to your men?” Jack said. “You should believe them yourself, sir!”
“What are you talking about?” George Washington asked.
Jack yanked the captain’s letter from his bag.
By the light of the lamp, he read the words the captain had copied for his children:
“ ‘These are the times that try men’s souls … ,’ ” Jack read. “ ‘But he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.… The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.’ ”
Jack looked at George Washington.
“Even if things look impossible, you should keep going, sir,” he said. “The harder things seem, the greater the triumph, right? That’s what you read to your men. You have to keep going for their sake.”
“Yes! And you have to keep going for our sake,” said Annie. “For the sake of the future children of America, sir.”
As the wet snow hissed about them, George Washington stared a long moment at Jack and Annie.
Finally, he put a hand on each of their shoulders.
“I do not know who you are,” he said. “I do not know how you know what you know. But I believe you. For your sake, and for the future children of America, we will march on.”
“Yay!” cried Annie.
“Yay,” said Jack softly. He sighed with relief and put away the captain’s letter.
“Now get back in the boat,” said George Washington. “You must leave the fighting to us. To me and my men.”
Jack felt very grateful to George Washington and his whole army. They were risking their lives for all of America’s children, past and future. He could barely speak.
“Thank you, sir,” said Annie.
“Thank you both for telling me to listen to my own advice,” said George Washington. He called to the rowers waiting in the boat. “Take good care of these two.”
George Washington climbed onto his horse. He looked down at Jack and Annie.
“Merry Christmas,” he said.
Then the commander-in-chief rode away into the stormy darkness.
“All aboard!” one of the rowers called.
Jack and Annie hurried down the steep riverbank. They climbed back into the boat.
The crew pushed away from the shore. The boat started back through the icy, churning waters of the Delaware River.
Jack was freezing in the sleet and snow. But he didn’t worry about that now. He was thinking instead about how they had helped George Washington. He was thinking about how they had helped keep history on its course.
Jack felt great.
When they got to the riverbank, Jack and Annie jumped out of the boat.
“Thanks!” Jack yelled to the rowers.
With the wind at their backs, Jack and Annie took off through the blizzard. They ran down the icy bank of the Delaware River.
Thunder rumbled in the snowy sky.
Lightning zigzagged over the woods.
“How will we find the tree house?” cried Annie.
“I don’t know!” said Jack. “But don’t worry! We’ll find it!”
He felt very confident now, after meeting George Washington. After being thanked by George Washington!
He and Annie ran on through the rain and the snow and the sleet.
They ran along the riverbank—until a bright flash of lightning lit up the sky. Then Jack saw it!
The tree house was directly to their left, high in a tall tree covered with snow.
“Over there!” he shouted.
Jack and Annie ran toward the edge of the woods.
In the dark, Jack looked up, searching for the tree house.
Lightning lit the woods again. Jack saw the rope ladder flapping wildly in the wind.
He grabbed it.
“Annie!” he called.
“Here!” she said.
“Let’s go!” he said.
They climbed up the swaying ladder and scrambled into the tree house. They were soaking wet and covered with slush and snow.
Annie grabbed the Pennsylvania book.
“I wish we could go there!” she shouted.
The wind blew even harder.
The tree house started to spin.
It spun faster and faster.
Then everything was still.
Absolutely still.
Gray early light spilled into the tree