Jack and Annie have a new challenge. They must find four special kinds of writing for Morgan's library to help save Camelot. They already had made one, "something to follow. Now, they are about to set off to find the second of these, "Something to send"
It was Wednesday, and they had to go to the tree house. On the floor, there was a research book helping them, "The Revolutionary War" in which American "patriots" fought for independence from Britain, "redcoats", from 1775 until 1782.
They had landed in trees near an icy river and the sky was gray and heavy with clouds, soon snowy. In the misty distance was a campfire. Several men sat around the fire with muskets.
Jack and Annie went closer and hid behind a rock, because they couldn't tell whether the soldiers were patriots or redcoats. A captain of patriots found them, whose farm was in Frog Creek. That's when it was time to meet up their commander-in-chief. The captain went up the riverbank with the soldiers, After he said them to return to their family now.
Jack and Annie thought the captain and his men might lead them to find "something to send". They ran along the riverbank, and soon came upon hundreds and hundreds of soldiers gathered near the dark river. Many carried oil lanterns. American patriots prepared to cross the river to go on a secret mission on Wednesday, December 25, 1776.
Just then, the commander-in-chief, general George Washington, loomed above the crowd of soldiers. A dangerous mission lay before patriots all, he read the words of Thomas Paine. "'These are the times that try men's souls. ... The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph, what we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly. It is dearness only that gives everything its value.'"
After his speech, the soldiers seemed eager to set out on their mission. The general led the army for six years, until America became a free and independent nation. In 1789, he was elected the first president of the new United States, their book said.
As Jack was writing about the general, one of soldiers was pointing at him. He started walking away from the man's shouting toward the river and lost himself in a crowd of soldiers.
Just then, the captain shone a lantern right in Jack's face. He ordered to find his sister at once and then go back to their family. And he did a favor of taking his farewell letter back with them to Frog Creek, they would send it if he had failed in this secret mission. He had copied the general's speech for his children, if anything bad happens to him those words would give them courage.
Suddenly, Jack clutched the letter to his chest. This letter was the writing they'd been looking for "something to send!" They could go home now! Now he just had to find Annie.
Annie was sitting in the back of the biggest boat, George Washington's. She thought it's their big chance to spend time with him and they might not get another one. Jack charged down and climbed into the boat to pull her out.
Suddenly, the crew grabbed their oars and started pushing the boat away from the shore. Though Jack said to get out in a loud voice, the men were working too hard to pay attention. The boat broke through more ice and rough waves sloshed against its sides. They were headed across the Delaware River!
By the dim lantern light in the boat, Jack and Annie each read the caption of their research book. The book said that after crossing the Delaware, the general led his men on a nine-mile march to a British post which was filled with Hessians, German soldiers hired by the British to fight for them. Along the book, the Hessians never thought the patriots would attack on a stormy Christmas night, and it was a great victory for the patriots.
As the boat reached up on the shore, they heard the general call one of his men. They were in for a blizzard. He said to the major, "Our mission may be hopeless, so should we call if off? "
Annie stood up and shouted to him, don't turn back and have to march on, and have to attack the Hessians. The soldiers thought Jack and Annie were to be spies because they were knowing all the secret mission. They were gotten caught.
Jack whirled around to face the general, and read the words the captain had copied for his children by the light of the lamp. That's what the general read to his men. "You have to keep for their sake.", said Jack.
After staring a long moment, the general put a hand on each of their shoulders. He did not know who they are and how they know what they know, but he believed them. He decided to match on. Jack felt very grateful to the general. He and his whole army were risking their lives for all of America's children, past and future.
Although Jack was freezing in the sleet and snow, he didn't worry about that. He was thinking instead about how they had helped George Washington, and keep history on its course.
Finally, they came back to the tree house, soaking wet and covered with slush and snow.
They returned back in peaceful place, Frog Creek woods. Jack placed the letter next to the writing from last trip. Annie picked up a note lying in the corner, "Come back on Tuesday", another message from Morgan.
On their way home, Jack remembered George Washington reading to his men that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. Those wards are true, said Annie. "It was a hard conflict, and I fell kind of glorious right now. Don't you?". Definitely.
