OCR Text |
Show The Master MastcrfS 01 Chaos ! ! ! CHAPTER XI14 XI14 XI -14- 14 - 14Which 14Which 14 14Which - Which Is the Bnef Bnd Record of SundryThnlhng SundryThrilling Sundry SundryThrilling Thrilling Thnlhng Events Events.Soon EventsSoon . , Soon after that Mn Mra M > Washington Washingtonand Washingtonand Washingtonand and her maids set out for Phllndel PhiladeI PhiladeIphia PhllndelphIn Phlladolphin phIn phia on their way to Mount Vernon VernonOn VernonOn VernonOn On the twenty ' sixth of July the main mainbod mainboth mainbody bod both , of the the'British theBritish Brltish British landed on the thesouthwestern thesouthwestern theeouthwestcrn southwestern extremity estremlty c tremlty of Long I.ong Iong . Island Islandat Islandat Islandat at a place called caUed Gravesend Grabesend Gra \ esend A10UDd Atound AloundIt A10UDdit Atoundit it were grO\ grO groves grOCB \ CB and orchards In the themIdst themidst themidst mIdst of which " were "ere ere m many mny m'tny mtny \ny ny ' \ ' stacks staclcs of ofwheat ofwheat ofwheat wheat These they burned , fi1lfn filling a awIde awide awide wIde arc of the sky " with Ith ; smoke cmoke There Therewere Therewere Therewere were nine thousand trained troops un undcr under undcr dcr der Sir Henry Hcnry ClintonColonel ClintonColonel Clinton ClintonColonel Colonel Cabot and his re regiment regimentwere regimentwere lment lmentwere were In the threatened threntened line Une . . Then Thenfolio Thenfollowed Thenfollowed folio followed " cd a month of nn anxious anvious lous waiting waitingllnd waitingand waitingand llnd and hurried burrIed preparation prep'1ratton prep1ratton ' under General Gen General General eral Greene I.on Ion Long . ; stretches In the theAmerIcan theAmerican theAmerican AmerIcan line back bade of Brooklyn were svere werelike sverelike werelike like tlie the army at Cambridge CamhrldJe ; In mid midsummer midsummer midsummer summer . Mammoth conceit I ! An c c4 c4perience expericnce " { perlence perience limited to bu bush h fi fighting fighting/withred fighting withred htlng / , wIth wIthred withred red men I ! Little patience with re restralnt restraint reetralnti stralnt straint I Every very Inferior omcer officer con contrlving contriving contriving trlving triving ways to win Immortal fame for forhImself forhimself forhimself hImself and his command I 1 ! A sporth sport's sports sportiveBallylngr ' e esallying alIyIng sallying out simply or In squads squadsagainst . , agaInst orders I ! Thousands of these thesemen thesemen thesemen men were like sheep huddled for i1 a i1shearIng ashearing nshearing nshearingThese shearIng shearIngThese These alarming truths the Com Corn Commander Cornwander Cornmander mander wander In Chief discovered when wben b'lV blV hiv b'lVing hivIng h-ivlas h ivlas ' - ing crossed the Kast last I ast river rlver on the thetwenty thetwenty thetwenty twenty fourth of August be he surbeved surbevedthe sun suncvedthe eved evedthe the situation . . . General Greene was 111 ill illIn 111In illIn In bed ITere nere Here was an armv army without 1 a ' 1leader aleader aleader aleaderThe leader leaderThe The Chief put the bn brav bras \ e a old General GeneralPutnam GeneralPutnam GeneralPutnam Putnam In command commnnd The ConnectIcut ConnectIcutplowman Connecticutplowman Connecticutplowman plowman with no e experience ecperlence erlence to fit him himfor himfor himfor for the task t1eI . ' ; , of estimating estlm'1t1ng estlm1t1ng ' the danger dangerpoInts dangerpoints dangerpoints poInts in III a long Hue Hne line was in hn a sitU'1 sitU1 situa sitU'1tIon situatlon situitlon ' tIon tlon that would ould hive h'lve hlve dive ' t1 ta taxed . ' ' ed the genius geniusof geniusof of Tulius Tullus Tullius CaesarWashIngton CaesarWashington Caesar CaesarWashington Washington was W'lS WlS wis ' ! In n a semicircle of offire offire offire fire drawing closer doser Since the mld middle middleof middleof le leof of June an armament more formld formic formldable formidable ] able than tllan that of the famous Arm'lda Armlda Armada Arm'ldabad Armadabad Armadahad ' bad been gathering g'lthcrln glthcrln ' In the lowci lowel lower bav bay bavat bayof bavof at of New York In It " were "ere ere sere scores of ofwarships ofwarships ofwarsliips warships from heavy liners hners , With Withtiers withtiers withtiers tiers of massive cannon to cutters cuttersarmed cuttersarmed cuttersarmed armed with small pieces There " werehundreds sere serehundreds ere erehundreds hundreds of tran transports ports and pro"lslOn prolslOn probision pro"lslOnships probisionships provisionships " ships and an army of some forty thou thousand thousand thouBand sand fighting men Masts loomed Into Intothe Intothe Intothe the sky like stark starl , trees In a burned burnedarea burnedarea burnedarea area of the wilderness The great greathammer greathammer greathammer hammer of British Br1hch ; power was raised raisedfor raisedfor raisedfor for a decisive blow and Washinfton Washington Washinftonhad Washingtonhad Washingtonhad , had no navy to help him British Br1t1sh gun gunboats gunboats gunboats boats were beadm heading beading into the harbor harborReport harborReport harborReport Report said that a big force of ot red redcoats redcoats redcoats coats were Inn landing lllg on Staten IslandThe IslandThe Island IslandThe The storm broke on the twenty twenty811.th twentysixth twentysixth 811.th 811th sixth . of AugusL August . . Out on the Jamaica Jamaicaroad Jamaicaroad Jamaicaroad road there was a leak In the line A Abrigade Abrigade Abrigade brigade of Inexperienced Ine'tperlenced Inetperlenced ineyperlenced ' : mIlItiamen militiamen.lulled militiamenlulled . , lulled Into a sense sence ; of secur security v bv by the thelong thelong thelong long dela delav delay v . , permitted tllemseh themselves es to tobe tobe tobe be surprised No b \ Odettes Idettes had been beensent beensent beensent sent out to watch the enemy enemy enem ' and 'lnd lnd give givewarning givewarning givewarning warning ' Cannon balls were suddenly suddenlyburled suddenlyburled suddenlyhurled burled upon them Moments of wIld wIldconfusIOn wildconfusion wildconfusion confusIOn 1 I Redcoats llcdco'lts llcdcolts ' I 1 ! A ga110plng galloping ga110plngrush gallopingrush gallopingrush rush of cavalry cnvalr , its rifles blanng blaLDg blaying ? ' ' Bat Battallons Battallons Battallons tallons of red coated Infantry follow followIng followlag followIng Ing lag to the run ! The earth shool shook shookMen shookMen " Men were falling faUlng dead de'ld deld ' , . others crying cryingout cryingout cryingout out with pain patn The lDe inexperienced inesperenced erienced [ mn mil mnlUamen milItlamen milIttamen lUamen Itlamen were unequal to the shock shockThey shockThey shockThey They emptied their guns and r'ln rln ran ranThen r'lnThen ranThen ' Then every man for himself and bell hell bellfor hellfor hellfor for all ' Death became the tbe shepherd shepherdof of this warned hut but IncorrI Incorrigible lble flockThey flockThey flock flockThey They were like flushed birds before beforethe beforethe beforethe the guns of ot the huntsmen Many Uany were werekilled \ werekilled \ ere erekilled killed killedounded , mounded \\ounded ounded wounded ' \ , or captured The TheBrItish TheBritish TheBritish BrItish poured through this great greatgrowing greatgrowing greatgrowing growing hole In the line That Th'lt Thlt ' night nightClmton's nightClinton's nightClinton's nightClintons Clmton's Clmtons Clinton's Clintons ' force worked around the theAmerIcans theAmericans theAmericans AmerIcans and turned their left flank flankcapturing flankcapturing flankcapturing capturing twenty two t\\o t o ' \ hundred hunrlred men menand menand menand and many mnny guns In the next neTI nevi few fewdays fewdays fewdays days thereas there ' \ was \\as as much heroic resistanceColIn resistanceColin resistance resistanceColin Colin Cabot's Cabots ' regiment of cavalry cavalryheaded cavalryheaded cavalryheaded headed a charge cbarge on the tIle British lIne lIneThey lineThey lineThey They broke throu through h but their losses losseswere losseswere losseswere were heavy 1england \ New 1\e\\ 1 e Aew \ \ " England ngland relments regiments relmentssprang regimentssprang regimentsBprang ; sprang Into the gap and widened It Itfighting , fighting as they ran Many Manv scurried scurriedthrough scurriedthrough scurriedthrough through to join the main bodthreat bodv bod\ bod both \ , threat threatened threatened threatened ened by the closing net . , and pourlDg pouring pourlDgnorthward pouringnorthward pouringnorthward northward to thp the East act ; river badly rent rentand rentand rentand and shaken sbaken Meanwhile General Waqh Wash Waqhington Washington WashIngton ington had been busy Four days and andnights andnights andnights nights he had bad spent In the saddle caddle ; with withonly withonly withonly only a few hours of rest He had hadcommandeered hadcommandeered hadcommandeered commandeered all aU the boats on the therIver theriver theriver rIver . He would make an effort efrort to save the thearmy thearmy thearmy army In a crossing within cannon reach reachat reachof reachof at of the British DrItlsh gun gunboats oats and " with "llh llh a agreat agreat agreat great force of the enemy behind benlnd him himIt himIt himIt It was a desperate hazard Still the theChlet theChief theChief Chlet Chief was like the pillar p1l1ar of Iron IronNeither IronNeither ironNeither Neither his faith nor his indoirltablespirit IndOlritable indoirltable IndOlritablespIrit Indorrltablespirit spIrit had forsaken him lie He was hkc like likeMoses likeMoses loses Moses } , and his people fleeing fieemg before berore the thehosts thehosts thehosts hosts of Egypt Eg"Pt EgPt ) " Was it a miracle mlr'lele mlrlele mlracle ' or a afreak afreak afreak freak of fortune that immediately Immedlatelv a athick athick athick thick curtain of fog tog hung down from fromthe fromthe fromthe the sky shy and covered the face of ot the thewater thewaters thewaters water waters a day and a night , save for forwhich forwhich forwhich which the wide river might have ha\e ha e hale \ been beena a redder sea spa than ever e\er e er \ Moses Ioses faced facedWe ? We may choose cbool > e as w we e will w1l1 bute but sb \ we \\e e a cannot cannot can cannot not fall fail to be amaycd ama7cd amayed by bv ) what came cameto cameto cameto to pass Colln CoUn Colin , his coat torn by bullets bul1ets , his hisshoulder hisshoulder hisshoulder shoulder grazed , his right hand bleed bleeding bleedtag bleedIng ing tag from a sabor sab'r sabr saber ( ' cut , was still stili at atwork atwork atwork work . He wa was ! ' on the ferry landing landingwhen landingwhen landingwhen when Ebenezer benezer Snoach came toward towardhim towardhim towardhim him out of at the fog"I fog"I fog fog"I "I I " could almost believe that you brought youbrought this tblS stack stacl of mist on your bac1 back yourback yourbac1 ( " . , " said s'1Id s1Id sold ' ColIn'The Colln ColIn 'The The * ' The salt sea has ilftc lifted 11ftI'd 11ftId ' d an arm to tohelp tohelp tohelp help us , " Snoach ancered answ anc\\ anc ; ' \ ered 'lIe lIe ' lie He ha'i hai hag ha'iblInded hagblinded hasblinded ' blInded boyThe the cncmv enem enema ) Don't Dont ' worry , boy The Lord God has h'ls hls his ' tools a plenty an an'He anHe ' lIe He Knowa know snows how to use 'cm cm 'c'm ' ' " Silently SllenUy Sllentiy under the fog Colonel Glover Glo Glover ver er , Fbeno/cr Fbeno cr FbeneJ'er FbeneJer Fbenerer / ' Snoach and their Slar Slarblehead Marblehead lar larblehead blehead amphibians , assisted by Colln CoUn Colin B By Irving Irvinag Ba Baca ! ncEgellt ' Copyright 193 1932 % by Irvlnir Inlng IrhiuR Bachellor Ba.chellor Bachelier Bachelierss Ba.chellor"lU BachellorftM . ss " "l\U "l l U ftM AU \ SersiceCabot SenIce Scnlce Sersice SenIceCabot Cabot , Amos nunsn I'arnsbs Iarnsbs Farnsworth ' ortb orth and otherq others otherqof othersof othersof of their regiment , mo\ mo moved mocd mosed \ cd nine thou thousands thousands thousands sands men across the river wIthout wIthoutthe withoutthe withoutthe the loss of one . . . All day and throush through throushthe throughthe throughthe : the night the mo\ mo moving moIng \ Ing continued At Atthe Atthe Atthe the coming of darkness Mrs Hapel Rapelse Rapelye Rapelsea Rapelyea ) e ea -a a - a Tory woman wom'ln womln ' who ho lived near theferrysent the theterr theferry terr terrsent ferry-sent ferry sent -sent sent - sent a negro to Inform the theBritish theBritish theBritish British ofhat of ' \ what \\hat hat " was "as as ssas going on The Themc"scnger Themessenger Themessenger mc"scnger mcscnger messenger " was held up at a Ues.lan Ueslan Uesaian Uesaianpost Ues.lanpost Hcssianpost : . post " where "here here the Germans were "ere ere " unable unableto to undelst'lnd undelstlnd understand undei stand ' him So the work was wasnot "a a " wasnot < ; not Interrupted General Generlll Wachlngton Washington Washingtonwas Wachlngtonas ; \\as as was \ \ the ' last l'1st l1st list to cro cross < ; s with some wound wounded \ woundcd \ oun ed men about da daylight ) light The sun h'1d h1d hid h'1dI hidnot hadnot ' I not rIsenColoncl risenColonel risen risenColonel Colonel Coloncl Cabot and nnd ( Captain Iaptaln Farns Farnsworth Farnsworth Farnsworth worth were in the boat with him The TheChief TheChief TheChief Chief sat In silence looking grm grave grace e and andweary andweary andweary weary . When they landed hnded linded he turned turnedto to them saving avmg with a n note of sad sadness sadness sadness ness in to his tone * . "My My " boys , you are in need of rest rest.I restI . I [ thank j you vou ou " "I I " reckon God has been thinkin thlnkln ' of ofus ofus ofus us , " said Amos'Not Amos'Not Amos 'Not Not ' Not of us but of the endless ages agesahead agesahead agesahead ahead , " the Chief answeredHIs answeredHis answered answeredHis His white hOl hoise horse se , , taken over In the themght thenight thenight mght night , was brought to him He gave gaveto gaveto 10 to General Putnam orders coverIng coverIngthe coveringthe coveringthe the retreat and mounting rode north northward northward northward ward with members of his bls staff fol for followed forlowed followed lowed by the tbe main m'lln mlln miln ' bod body v of at his troops troopsIn troopsIn In an open field near a creek creeh he halted haltedthe haltedthe haltedthe the shattered army for rest GU'lrds GUlrds Guirds GU'lrdswere Guirdswere Guardswere ' were mounted mounte , ' ydettcs 'Jdettes Jdettes sdettes ) thrown out and andthousan andthousands andthousands thousan thousands s of " weaiy "e:11Y e11Y weary : men lay 1ay down hle like likespent likespent , pent spent < ; dogs to sleep on thp the damp d'1mp d1mp ' CRI earth earthnow eaithnow th thnow now dr drying mg in 10 the sunIl sunlight ht Surgeons Surgeonssent Surgeonswent \ sent \ ent about among the men dressing dressingwounds dressingrounds wounds \ ounds \ which silhlch blch had not di disabled < ; l1bled them themColIn themColin themColin ColIn and Amos were ' among 'lmong lmong the first firstso firstso firstso so treated trented Thev The , stretched out side sideby sideby sideby by side Three days and nights D1ght they theyh'ld theyhid theyhad h'ld hld hid ' seen of restless toll toil with tbe the tbewounded thewounded thewounded wounded , the baggage b'lgg'lge blgglge biggige ' ' the horses , the theguns theguns theguns guns and the boats They had come comethrough comethrough comethrough through the , valley alley Salley of death Its Itssh'ldow Itsshadow Itsshadow sh'ldow shldow shadow ' " was "as as on them"It's them"It's them them"It's "It's Its " ' a hard life which there mn't mnt ain't aint mn'tno ain'tno ain'tno aintno ' no mistake , " Amos muttered "I I " de deserve deserve deserve serve It but I 1 reckon reelon , God'll Godll God'n Godn God'11 God11 ' think thmk I've Ive I'vehad |