“Der feind!” he roared. A volley of musketry rolled through the streets. “Der feind!”
George flashed by him and gained the street; out of the inn poured Rahl and his officers, excited, confused, buttoning up their greatcoats and feeling for their swords.
“Heraus!” shouted Rahl, flashing his blade from its sheath. “Heraus!”
The cry was taken up by the officers; the Hessians, heavy eyed, gorged with feasting and totally unfit for battle, thronged out of the warm houses into the bitter night. Drums were beating; the town was roaring with fright.
A group of artillerymen formed behind the half circle of guns before Rahl’s headquarters; their matches were lighted and they waited for the word that would scatter death into the onrushing Americans. But there was no officer collected enough to give it; and in another instant the gunners were bayoneted at their posts.
George Prentiss saw two forces of Americans, coming from different directions, form a junction; at their heads he recognized Sullivan and the commander-in-chief himself. Seizing the musket of a fallen Hessian, he joined the massed column. A battery of six guns under Forest was drawn up and opened upon Rahl and his frantic brigade at a few hundred paces.
“Hot work,” said a voice at George’s side. And turning he saw the forms of Ezra and Nat Brewster. Ben Cooper, his chubby cheek pressed against a rifle-barrel, was drawing a bead upon an enemy.
“Glad to see you’re all right,” he nodded to George. “But I’ll tell you more about it later on.”
Under the galling fire of Forest’s artillery, Rahl drew his men off to the east side of the town. Hand’s riflemen took up a place in his rear while he was forming his command. Desperate fighters that they were, the mercenaries still had a chance to escape. But they so despised the Americans, and their quarters in the town were so stowed with plunder, that they determined to stand their ground. Rahl gave the word to charge. The Americans braced to meet them, their rifles held ready.
“Steady! Steady!” ran through the columns. “Hold your fire.”