“What the devil are they waiting for?” he said irritably. “The British will have them now, as soon as their powder’s dry. Why in God’s name doesn’t Washington surrender?”

But nothing happened. At supper that evening he was tense, and scowled at everybody. That night he went out again, but soon returned.

“There’s a damn fog,” he growled. “Can’t see a thing.”

The hammering on the door came at midnight. It woke the whole house. Abigail rose from her bed hastily and hurried down, to find her father with a primed pistol in his hand and Hudson at the door. At a nod from Master, Hudson opened it.

And Charlie White walked in. He glanced at the pistol.

“Evening, John. Need your keys.”

“What keys, Charlie?”

“To your damn boats. Broke into your warehouse easy enough, but you’ve got so many padlocks, it’s wastin’ time.”

“What do you want with my boats, Charlie?”

“We’re gettin’ the boys back from Brooklyn. Hurry up, will you?”

“Dear God,” cried Master. “I’m coming.”

He was back an hour later. Abigail was waiting for him.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” he told her excitedly. “They’ve got a whole fleet of boats. Barges, canoes, anything that’ll float. They’re trying to ferry the whole army across during the night.”

“Will it work?”

“As long as the British don’t realize what’s going on. Thank God for the fog.”

“And James?”

“No sign of him yet. I want you to wake up Hudson and Ruth, and start preparing hot broth, stew, whatever you can. The men I saw coming off the boats are in terrible shape.”

“We’re to feed Patriots?” she said in astonishment.

He shrugged. “They’re soaked to the skin, poor devils. I’m going back now.”

She did as he asked, and was in the kitchen with Hudson and his wife an hour later when her father entered again. This time he was grinning like a boy.

“James is back—he’ll be coming here shortly. I told him to bring his men. Have we got stew and broth?”

“Soon, Father. How many men is he bringing?”

“About two hundred. Is that a problem?”

The two women looked at each other.

“Of course not,” said Abigail.

As the men crowded into the house, James took Abigail and his father aside, and gave them a brief account of what had happened.