then.

HONEYMAN

Wal', Colonel, good luck to ye. But I hope ye won't be in too big a hurry to capture all the rebels!

RALL

Eh, what's that?

HONEYMAN

Er—I'll be out of a job; and so'll ye be, Colonel!

RALL

Yes, that's right too. Well, let's have a look at your cattle and I'll sign for 'em.

HONEYMAN

Come on—you fu'st, sir.

RALL

Thanks—hm—how many did you say there were?

HONEYMAN

There's twenty-two critters there—er, there was when I drove 'em up.

RALL

Hm—they look a little scrawny.

HONEYMAN

Best I could git, Colonel!

RALL (counting)

Two—four—five—seven—ten (etc.) Hm—twenty-one's all I make, Honeyman.

HONEYMAN

Twenty-one? Pshaw now—did one o' them critters go trapsin' off. (he counts) Yes sir, that's just what's happened. Wall—sign fer the twenty-one, an' I'll go out lookin' fer that other critter.

RALL

Here you are—let me have that bill—(rattle of paper) Twenty-one in good condition, signed—Rall. There you are. Hope you find the other one.

HONEYMAN

Thankee—where's that road off to the left go?

RALL

That—oh, that's the river road.

HONEYMAN

I cal'ate the critter musta gone that way.

RALL

Better keep a sharp lookout if you go down that way.

HONEYMAN

Eh? What fer?

RALL

Some o' those ragamuffin rebels might be on this side of the river.

HONEYMAN

Pshaw now—ye don't say! They come across the river, do they?

RALL

Yes, once in a while. But they don't dare bother us. But they might pick up a civilian.

HONEYMAN

Oh, I cal'ate I kin take keer o' myself. I got my whip and this halter.

RALL (laughing)

That ought to be enough to scare 'em away from you!

HONEYMAN (going)

They'll figger I'm the hangman come out to git 'em—fetchin' my halter along! (he and RALL laugh)

ANNOUNCER

So Honeyman started down the river road, cracking his whip and swinging his halter. A couple of miles down the road, four Continental soldiers were in hiding. They had been sent out with instructions to pick up a prisoner, if possible, and bring him into Washington's headquarters for the purpose of securing information. As Honeyman drew near their place of hiding in the brush alongside the river road, the men heard the snapping of his whip. (crack of whip)

CORPORAL (low)

What's that?

SOLDIER

Don't know, sounds funny. See anything, Corporal?

CORPORAL

There, I see him! Huh, it's just a farmer crackin' his driving whip.

SOLDIER

Yah, I see him. What's he got in his other hand?

CORPORAL

Looks like a piece o' rope.

SOLDIER

A halter! Look, Corporal!

CORPORAL

Yep. A halter. Well, no use stoppin' him. Lie low. We want to get one o' them Hessians. By George, though, I'd like to have that whip.

SOLDIER

What for?

CORPORAL

To use on the Hessians we're goin' to git!

SOLDIER

You bet. Them mercenaries ought to be whipped out o' the country! Shootin's too good for 'em—we'd ought to—

CORPORAL

Sh! He's gettin' closer.

SOLDIER

Say! I know that fellow.

CORPORAL

Yah? What about it? Keep quiet, I said!

SOLDIER

No! Listen, Corporal, we got to capture him.

CORPORAL

Why?

SOLDIER

The General issued orders about him.

CORPORAL

Who is he?

SOLDIER

Honeyman!

CORPORAL

Honeyman the Tory?

SOLDIER

That's who it is. Let's grab him.

CORPORAL

Men! (several voices respond) We're going to take this fellow. All right now—lie low—and when I give the signal, jump!

HONEYMAN (off, coming in)

So-o-o, boss—where's that dang critter gone to? I cal'ate mebbe—

CORPORAL

Halt! Get him boys!

HONEYMAN

Say! What's the matter—what ye doin'!

ALL

Come on! Grab him! Get hold of him there! Down with him! (etc.)

HONEYMAN (at same time)

Hey, you scoundrels! Git off me! Leave me be! I'm a peaceable man, ye ain't got no right to do this to me—git off me—git off—I say—hey, leave go my halter!

SOLDIERS

Well, ain't this nice, boys. He's brought along a rope for us to tie him up with, now ain't that thoughtful—here—leave go the rope.

HONEYMAN

Let me up—don't ye tie me up! I'm jest a farmer—out huntin' a stray cow!

CORPORAL

Stray cow, eh? Well, we was huntin' a stray coward! (laughter) Here give me that whip!

SOLDIER

Here ye are, Corporal! Well boys, take a look at him—this here's Honeyman the Tory. (all comment)

CORPORAL

All right, throw him into the boat! General Washington'll be right pleased to see ye, Mister Honeyman! Come along—oh, ye won't go, eh—well, fetch him, boys.

HONEYMAN

Leave me be! Stop it! The King's men'll make ye pay fer this.

ALL

Hey shut up—grab him Tom—stop that kickin', fetch him along. (etc.)

ANNOUNCER

Protesting and struggling, Honeyman was thrown into the boat and carried to the Pennsylvania shore of the Delaware. In the meantime, on that very afternoon of December 22, 1776, Washington was holding a council of war with his staff.

WASHINGTON

Gentlemen, I regret to inform you that Congress has fled from Philadelphia.

ALL

What? Fled? Left Philadelphia? Too bad! (etc.)

WASHINGTON

I'm sorry! I asked them particularly to stay there, as I feared the effect on the people of the country. But it seems that even Congress has lost faith in the army.

KNOX

General Washington.

WASHINGTON

General Knox.

KNOX

We've got to do something to re-establish their faith! (all agree)

WASHINGTON

Yes! But what? Charles Lee is captured—his army gone—we can't look for any help from that quarter.

KNOX

Sir, can't we go back across the river, suddenly—and strike a blow before the enemy knows what we are up to?

WASHINGTON

We'll have to! It's our only hope. But how, when, and where? I had hoped that we might get information that would guide us in our plans. Well, we haven't got it! Now, much as I hate to make any move without full and complete information, I don't see what else we can do. The river will be frozen over in a week or ten days. That