The pier was deserted, and he loosened his limbs from their temporary grave, and worked his head and shoulders out and looked around. "There lies the city," he said. At this moment a great seam of fire ran across the cloud and hurled itself down at the earth. A burst of thunder followed. This was the bolt that had felled the elm so close to his friend Carter.
George crawled out and stumbled. He was so stiff that his knees hurt him when he moved. Now the wind came, and the rain began that wonderful downpour; the lightning flashed incessantly. George hid alongside the dingy. He caught momentary glimpses of the nearest ships getting out stern anchors.
Now was the time for moving. The rain fairly stung him as he stood up and applied his shoulder to the dingy's bow. He dug his bare toes into the sand, and the muscles knotted in his arms and back. But the boat moved not so much as a finger's breadth. Again he took fresh hold, and strained until his ears pained and the cords of his neck were tense as bow-strings.
The small boat ploughed backwards, the tide caught the stern; then the rest of the launching was easy.
Many a sailor in that great fleet could not have done what this deep-chested boy of sixteen had accomplished by sheer strength.
As the dingy floated, George waded after her, and giving a final push, tumbled over the side. The current swept him up the shore. Even if seen by the big sloop-of-war that lay nearest to him, he reasoned that in the midst of all the bustle on board no one would think of putting after a drifting boat. He shipped the tiller, and kept well out of sight until the pitching and tossing told him he was getting into deeper water.
When he raised his head he was surprised to see what a distance he had travelled, and he thanked the lightning; it enabled him to keep his course. By stepping one of the oars in the mast-hole he increased his speed perceptibly.
It was manifest that Lord Howe meant what he said, for now and then he saw crowded boats running before the gale straight for the Gravesend beach. Rolling and plunging, the dingy made headway to the north.
Washington was holding a conference with his officers in the big room of the Kenedy House. Lately it had been rumored that Howe was going to up anchor and make sail for Philadelphia.