e iron will of one man,--which
is another way of saying the game is never won until it is ended.

There was mounting in hot haste in New York, and couriers and orders
streamed over the frozen roads, and Lord Cornwallis himself galloped at
full speed for Princeton. The calculations of a certain number of his
majesty's faithful troops were to be rudely disturbed, and the
comfortable quarters in which they had ensconced themselves were to be
vacated forthwith. Concentration, aggregation, synthesis, were the
words; and this time the reassembled army was not to disintegrate into
winter quarters until this pestilent Mr. Washington was attended to,
and attended to so effectually that they could enjoy the enforced
hospitality of the surly but substantial Jerseymen through the long
winter nights undisturbed. For his part, Mr. Washington, having tasted
success, the first real brilliant offensive success of the campaign,
was quite willing to be attended to. In fact, in a manner which in
another sex might be called coquettish, he seemed to court attention.
Having successfully attacked with his frost-bitten ragged regiments a
detachment, he was now to demonstrate to the world that not even the
presence of an army could stop him.

Things were not quiet on the Pennsylvania side of the river either;
there were such comings and goings in Newtown as that staid and
conservative village had never before seen. Our two friends, the
sad-hearted, were both busily employed. Talbot had galloped over the
familiar road, and had electrified the good people of Philadelphia with
his news, and then had hastened on to Baltimore to reassure the spirits
of the frightened Congress. Honest Robert Morris was trotting around
from door to door upon New Year's morning, hat in hand, begging for
dollars to assist his friend George Washington, and the cause of
liberty, and the suffering army; and Seymour, become as it were a
soldier, and with Philip for esquire, was waiting to take what he could
get, be the amount ever so little, back to General Washington. The
sailor had been granted a further leave of absence by the naval
committee, at the general's urgent request, and was glad to learn that
he should soon have command of the promised ship of war, which was even
then making ready in the Delaware. Honest Bentley--beloved of the
soldiery in spite of his genuinely expressed contempt for land
warriors--was lending what aid he could in keeping up the spiri