“I suppose you’re right,” said Ben Cooper, still more soberly than before. “And that means that he’ll begin flanking movements and other things in which his veteran troops will have a tremendous advantage over our untrained militia.”
To guard against a surprise, or to be ready to receive the enemy in the early morning should he wait so long before attacking, the Americans kept their weapons beside them. Washington patrolled his camp with care and anxiety; it was a night of terrible suspense; never before since the beginning of the war had the Americans risked so much upon the outcome of a single struggle; defeat meant annihilation.
The commander-in-chief, accompanied by a few officers, paused in his rounds at no great distance from where the boys stood. Sitting erect in his saddle, he examined the fires of Cornwallis with speculative eye.
“They sleep as though feeling their prey secure,” said General Greene.
“Our discipline is not great enough to hold him back,” said Washington, his gaze still upon the watch-fires of the enemy; “a front to front engagement is out of the question.”
The boys saw Greene turn a look upon his fellow officers; it was plain that, from this, he expected something more. And he was not disappointed.
“By this time,” said General Washington, in a quiet way and with the manner of a man who is weighing something of vital import, “the greater part of the enemy must be on its way to Trenton, to assist in crushing us.”
“I think there is scarcely any doubt of that,” answered Greene. “We have given my Lord Cornwallis a taste of our mettle lately, and he’ll not trifle with us, you may depend.”
“They will be drawn from Princeton,” said Washington, “in detachments of no great strength. If encountered, a competent force could beat them in detail. And then Brunswick, where all their baggage and stores lie, would be left practically undefended.”
General Greene drew in his breath sharply; the other officers stirred in their saddles, their eyes gleaming expectantly in the firelight. Washington, who had made no sign that he had noted the proximity of his young riders, now surprised them by suddenly facing them.