h boat with poles to push it along
and keep it off the banks. Some ten miles below they swung into a
large river and went on, more swiftly, with the aid of oars and paddles.

Thus Solomon became the hero of this ill-fated expedition. After that
he was often referred to in the army as the River Maker, although the
ingenious man was better known as the Lightning Hurler, that phrase
having been coined in Jack's account of his adventures with Solomon in
the great north bush. In the ranks he had been regarded with a kind of
awe as a most redoubtable man of mysterious and uncanny gifts since he
and Jack had arrived in the Highlands fresh from their adventure of
"shifting the skeer"--as Solomon was wont to put it--whereupon, with no
great delay, the rash Colonel Burley had his Binkussing. The scout was
often urged to make a display of his terrible weapon but he held his
tongue about it, nor would he play with the lightning or be induced to
hurl it upon white men.

"That's only fer to save a man from bein' burnt alive an' et up," he
used to say.

At the White Pine Mills near the sea they were taken aboard a lumber
ship bound for Boston. Solomon returned with a great and growing
influence among the common soldiers. He had spent a week in Newport
and many of his comrades had reached the camp of Washington in advance
of the scout's arrival.

When Solomon--a worn and ragged veteran--gained the foot of the
Highlands, late in October, he learned to his joy that Stony Point and
King's Ferry had been abandoned by the British. He found Jack at Stony
Point and told him the story of his wasted months. Then Jack gave his
friend the news of the war.

D'Estaing with a French fleet had arrived early in the month. This had
led to the evacuation of Newport and Stony Point to strengthen the
British position in New York. But South Carolina had been conquered by
the British. It took seven hundred dollars to buy a pair of shoes with
the money of that state, so that great difficulties had fallen in the
way of arming and equipping a capable fighting force.

"I do not talk of it to others, but the troubles of our beloved
Washington are appalling," Jack went on. "The devil loves to work with
the righteous, waiting his time. He had his envoy even among the
disciples of Jesus. He is among us in the person of Benedict
Arnold--lover of gold. The new recruits are mostly of his stripe. He
is their Captain. They demand big bounties. T