PAGE 7
Washington Crossing the Delaware
by
RALL
Here you are–let me have that bill–
(
rattle of paper
)
Twenty-one in good condition, signed–Rall.
There you are. Hope you find the other one.
HONEYMAN
Thankee–where’s that road off to the left go?
RALL
That–oh, that’s the river road.
HONEYMAN
I cal’ate the critter musta gone that way.
RALL
Better keep a sharp lookout if you go down that way.
HONEYMAN
Eh? What fer?
RALL
Some o’ those ragamuffin rebels might be
on this side of the river.
HONEYMAN
Pshaw now–ye don’t say!
They come across the river, do they?
RALL
Yes, once in a while. But they don’t dare bother us.
But they might pick up a civilian.
HONEYMAN
Oh, I cal’ate I kin take keer o’ myself.
I got my whip and this halter.
RALL
(
laughing
)
That ought to be enough to scare ’em away from you!
HONEYMAN
(
going
)
They’ll figger I’m the hangman come out to git
’em–fetchin’ my halter along!
(
he and
RALL
laugh
)
ANNOUNCER
So Honeyman started down the river road, cracking his whip and swinging his halter. A couple of miles down the road, four Continental soldiers were in hiding. They had been sent out with instructions to pick up a prisoner, if possible, and bring him into Washington’s headquarters for the purpose of securing information. As Honeyman drew near their place of hiding in the brush alongside the river road, the men heard the snapping of his whip. (
crack of whip
)
CORPORAL
(
low
)
What’s that?
SOLDIER
Don’t know, sounds funny. See anything, Corporal?
CORPORAL
There, I see him! Huh, it’s just a farmer crackin’ his driving whip.
SOLDIER
Yah, I see him. What’s he got in his other hand?
CORPORAL
Looks like a piece o’ rope.
SOLDIER
A halter! Look, Corporal!
CORPORAL
Yep. A halter. Well, no use stoppin’ him. Lie low.
We want to get one o’ them Hessians.
By George, though, I’d like to have that whip.
SOLDIER
What for?
CORPORAL
To use on the Hessians we’re goin’ to git!
SOLDIER
You bet. Them mercenaries ought to be whipped out
o’ the country! Shootin’s too good for ’em–we’d ought to–
CORPORAL
Sh! He’s gettin’ closer.
SOLDIER
Say! I know that fellow.
CORPORAL
Yah? What about it? Keep quiet, I said!
SOLDIER
No! Listen, Corporal, we got to capture him.
CORPORAL
Why?
SOLDIER
The General issued orders about him.
CORPORAL
Who is he?
SOLDIER
Honeyman!
CORPORAL
Honeyman the Tory?
SOLDIER
That’s who it is. Let’s grab him.
CORPORAL
Men!
(
several voices respond
)
We’re going to take this fellow. All right now–lie
low–and when I give the signal, jump!
HONEYMAN
(
off, coming in
)
So-o-o, boss–where’s that dang critter gone to?
I cal’ate mebbe–
CORPORAL
Halt! Get him boys!
HONEYMAN
Say! What’s the matter–what ye doin’!
ALL
Come on! Grab him! Get hold of him there!
Down with him!
(
etc.
)
HONEYMAN
(
at same time
)