let my own men know you're working for me.

HONEYMAN

Wal'—ye might have me captured now an' agin—tell yer men I'm a notorious Tory—an' have 'em be on the lookout fer me particular! Then when I've got something fer ye, I'll put myself in the way o' gittin' captured.

WASHINGTON

Good! That's an excellent idea. I'll have to give you a pretty bad name with my troops.

HONEYMAN

Pshaw—I don't mind that, sir.

WASHINGTON

And I don't know how I can reward you.

HONEYMAN

I don't need no reward to help ye, General Washington, I got a duty to do that!—There's only jest one thing, sir—

WASHINGTON

Yes?

HONEYMAN

I'd sorta—er—kinda like my wife an' children protected from the—wal'—the results o' my bein' an active an' notorious Tory.

WASHINGTON

Of course.

HONEYMAN

Ye see, I don't mind what folks think o' me, but Marthy—that's my wife, sir—she an' the young un's might git—wal'—treated pretty shabby.

WASHINGTON

I understand. I'll give you an order for them to use in case of necessity.

HONEYMAN

Would ye—er—sign it yerself, General?

WASHINGTON

Certainly! Here—I'll write it now. (rattle of paper) Let's see—(slowly) "To the Good People of New Jersey and all others it may concern: It is ordered that the wife and children of John Honeyman of—" Where's your home?

HONEYMAN

Grigstown, sir.

WASHINGTON

"—of Grigstown, the notorious Tory now within the British lines and probably acting the part of a British spy, should be protected from all harm and annoyances. This is no protection to Honeyman himself." Is that satisfactory?

HONEYMAN

I cal'ate that covers it, sir.

WASHINGTON

Very well, I'll sign it—(signing) There you are, sir.

HONEYMAN

I'm much obleeged to ye, sir.

WASHINGTON

No, Honeyman, I'm the one who is your debtor. Good day, sir.

HONEYMAN

Good day, General Washington. Next time ye see me I'll be yer prisoner.

ANNOUNCER

And John Honeyman left Washington's camp to set about making his position secure with the British. He became one of the regular meat contractors for Cornwallis's army, which pursued Washington across the state of New Jersey during the next month.

Washington did not hurry his retreat, but he always got away. Finally about the first of December, he came to Trenton, where he halted for a week and sent men up and down the river to collect all the boats on the Delaware. He knew that he would be forced to retreat into Pennsylvania; and he proposed to leave no means for the enemy to follow him. On December 8, 1776, the British advance, which consisted of a brigade of Hessians under Colonel Rall, entered Trenton; but as usual, Washington was half a day ahead of his pursuers, and as the Hessians entered the village, the rear guard of the Americans was just entering the last of the boats, and safely pulled away to the Pennsylvania shore! Lord Howe, who had joined Cornwallis, sent out men to look for boats, but none could be found. The weather turned cold. Lord Howe was uncomfortable; so he decided to put his troops into winter quarters and let the pursuit go. He had done enough for one season!

He and Cornwallis arranged to scatter the troops about New Jersey to hold that territory, while they went back to New York to enjoy the winter.

Trenton was left in charge of Colonel Rall and his brigade of Hessians. On December 22, John Honeyman drove a small herd of cattle into Trenton, left them standing in front of headquarters, as he went up and knocked on the door. (knocks)

RALL (off)

Come in! Come in!

HONEYMAN

Mornin', Colonel Rall!

RALL

Oh, it's you, Honeyman!

HONEYMAN

Aye, it's me—an' I got some cattle out front here fer yer Quartermaster.

RALL

Well, that's good news—my men will be glad to see that beef! Now we can give 'em a Christmas dinner that'll be a Christmas dinner!

HONEYMAN

All ye need now, Colonel, is a mite o' wine, eh?

RALL

Never fear, we've got the wine!

HONEYMAN

Wal', ye kin have a fu'st-rate Christmas then.

RALL

Yes sir! With roast beef and two hogsheads of fine wine—we should do very well.

HONEYMAN

Two? Pshaw, is that all?

RALL

Why—what's the matter with that?

HONEYMAN

Two hogsheads won't go so far with a whole brigade.

RALL

Oh, I haven't got a whole brigade.

HONEYMAN

Ye ain't?

RALL

No, just a thousand men, that's all! Why sir, they can all get roarin' drunk on the ration I'll issue 'em.

HONEYMAN

An' like as not they will, eh, Colonel?

RALL (chuckling)

Well, Honeyman, what do you expect o' soldiers? Christmas you know—and out here in this God-forsaken place. Let 'em get drunk, I say. There's nothing else to do.

HONEYMAN

Wal', Colonel, I cal'ate 'tain't often ye find a better officer than ye be! I'd like to serve under ye!

RALL

Well, if you want—

HONEYMAN

Yes, sir. I'd do it if I wasn't helpin' along things in my way by roundin' up food fer the king's men. Wal', mebbe ye better sign fer these critters out in front an' I'll be gittin' along. I got to hike over to the next post. Er—by the way—how fer is it to the next detachment o' troops?

RALL

Oh, about six miles south.

HONEYMAN

Six miles, huh? How fer to the next one north?

RALL

Nobody north of us.

HONEYMAN

Eh, nobody north?

RALL

No, I'm command of the flank. This is the last post.

HONEYMAN

I cal'ate that makes a lot o' hard work fer ye, Colonel?

RALL

Hard work?

HONEYMAN

Sure, don't ye have to patrol up an' down the river, an' sich like things?

RALL (laughing)

What for?

HONEYMAN

Wal', after all, there's some o' the enemy left, ain't there?

RALL (laughing)

A half-a-dozen starved ragamuffins. What could they do to my trained Hessians?

HONEYMAN (joining in the laugh)

Not much, I cal'ate! Ye ain't in much danger, an' that's a fact!

RALL

If we had some boats we'd soon make short work of them. But confound the rascals, they made away with all the boats.

HONEYMAN

Ye ain't got no boats, eh?

RALL

Not a one!

HONEYMAN

Ye ain't built none, eh?

RALL

Why should we?

HONEYMAN

Wal'—if ye want to git across the river—

RALL

Oh, we'll get across as soon as the river freezes over. We'll get the last o' the rebels