It was at the house of an ardent patriot, who was serving in the Continental army, that Enoch slept, and after the sun rose next morning he had not long to wait before delivering the message.
"You will accompany us on the march, my boy," General Washington said as he glanced hurriedly over the report, and Enoch, thus dismissed, fell back to the rear until he found Greene.
"It begins to look as if we shouldn't miss a general engagement, lad," the spy said gleefully, "though I don't doubt Lee will do all he can to prevent it. Are you at liberty to tell me anything?"
"I know very little myself, except that the Britishers are said to be on the road to Sandy Hook."
"Then we shall come up with them for certain. Devil David won't allow Clinton to march through Monmouth County unmolested."
"But how can General Lee prevent an engagement, if the commander-in-chief desires one?" Enoch asked.
"In the first place he's second in command, and his opinion should have more weight than that of the others. Last night a thousand men under General Wayne were detailed to join the advance corps now in command of Lafayette, which gives him four thousand picked soldiers. It seems that Lee, who by right should have command of that division, being opposed to a general engagement, allowed the Marquis de Lafayette to take his place, and, as we all know, the Frenchman believes in tackling the enemy without delay. Now it seems, as I have heard, that Lee has changed his mind suddenly, and asks to be reinstated, which of course can't be done with justice to the marquis; but, to keep things moving smoothly, General Washington has given Lee command of two brigades, with orders to join Lafayette, and there, as you can imagine, his rank will entitle him to supreme command. I doubt not but that you will see the marquis soon."
"Why?"
"In my opinion the commander-in-chief must give Lafayette some reason for allowing Lee to join him, after all that has been said and done, and I reckon you are the aid who can best be spared just now. What have the New Jersey troops been doing?"
While Enoch was detailing to his friend that which he had learned from the soldier during the night he spent with General Maxwell's forces, an orderly rode back, inquiring for the boy who had just come from the front, and when the young aid presented himself, announced that the commander-in-chief wished to see him.