A dark form flitted down to the river’s edge and stepped fearlessly upon the ice; then it headed for the Pennsylvania shore and was soon lost to view. The night was cold and still; George could hear the crunching of his friend’s shoes in the frozen snow for some time after he had lost sight of him. But after a little, even that ceased; he heard a clock strike nine and then ten from a tower in the town; then followed what seemed ages of waiting. The watcher trembled with the cold; his feet were numbed; his hands were useless. Just as eleven boomed out, mournfully and far off, there was a faint flare from a knoll across the river; then it mounted to a ruddy blaze and George gave a sigh of relief.

“He’s safe,” said he. “Safe! And now I can turn my hand to my own work.”

CHAPTER XXI
HOW COLONEL RAHL PROPOSED GIVING A
CHRISTMAS CONCERT

George learned that the Hawksworths, with whom Peggy was staying, were an English family who owned vast acreages in the Jerseys; the head of the house was the younger son of a duke, his wife the daughter of a viscount; and their connections were extremely fashionable. They resided in a fine brick mansion in the best section; and because of their high estate and the fact that they quartered a lieutenant-general, they had a brace of pigtailed Hessians constantly on guard at their front door.

Once or twice, George’s affairs had taken him by the house, and he found it quite as compelling as the one in Crown Street, New York. But he never saw Peggy. As a matter of fact, he made no especial effort to see her; he felt that he was upon urgent business for headquarters, and that it was his place not to attract any more attention than was necessary.

But now that Nat had safely carried their harvest of news across the river, the boy considered himself more of a free agent than before; and his own affairs came uppermost in his mind.

“Peggy Camp has held me up to contempt, insulted me to my face and even tried to take my life,” he told himself. “And yet I want to see her. I want to see her just once. I want to tell her how I regard her, and then I want to see no more of her.”

But for a person dressed as he was to gain admittance to one under the care of the aristocratic Hawksworths was clearly impossible; and so he sought a tailor, a hair-dresser and a haberdasher; emerging from their hands, he was spick and span and eligible for any company. And, also, which came as an afterthought, he was open to detection. No doubt there were numerous New York king’s men in Trenton upon various errands connected with the service; and some of these who had seen him there would know him for what he was.

“But I’ll take the chance,” he muttered; “nothing is gained except by venturing. A bold manner will win me a way, perhaps, even if any one should recall me.”

So he sought out an inn which was patronized by persons of quality, and calmly installed himself therein; there were many officers of Rahl’s brigade quartered there, but that made little difference; the nearer to the danger mark at times, the safer one may feel.