“It’s a fine fox chase, my boys!” he shouted to the men, in the excitement of the moment.

Brereton, who was riding within hearing, called something to a bugler; and the man, halting in the race, put his trumpet to his lips and blew a fanfare.

“There are others can sound the ‘Stole Away,’ your Excellency,” shouted Jack, triumphantly.  “That insult is paid in kind.”

The Continental soldiers were too exhausted by their long night march and their morning fight to follow the fugitives far, the more that the English, by throwing away their guns, knap-sacks, and other accoutrements, and by being far less fatigued, were easily able to outstrip their pursuers.  Perceiving this, the general ordered the bugles to sound the recall, and the men fell back on Princeton village.

“With five hundred fresh troops, or a proper force of light horse, we could have captured every man of them,” groaned Brereton, “and probably have seized Brunswick, with all its stores.”

Washington nodded his head in assent. “’T is idle to repine,” he said calmly, “because the measure of our success might have been greater.  The troops have marched well and fought well.”

“What is more,” declared Webb, “a twelve hours ago, the enemy thought us in a cul-de-sac.  We have not merely escaped, but turned our flight into a conquest.  How they will grit their teeth when they find themselves outgeneralled!”

“Less a couple of hundred prisoners to boot,” chimed in Brereton, pointing at the village green, where the captives were being collected.

“Your Excellency,” reported General Greene, as Washington came up to the college building, “we have found a store of shoes and blankets in the college, and all of the papers of the Lord Cornwallis and General Grant.”

“Look to them, Brereton, and report to me at once if there is anything needing instant attention,” directed Washington.

Jack, tossing his reins to a soldier, followed Greene into Nassau Hall, and was quickly running over the bundles of papers which the British, with more prudence than prescience, had for safety left behind.  Presently he came upon a great package of signed oaths of allegiance, which he was shoving to one side as of no immediate importance, when the name signed at the bottom of the uppermost one caught his eye.

“Oh, Joe, Joe!” he laughed, taking up the paper, “is this thy much-vaunted love of freedom?” Glancing at the second, he added, “And Esquire Hennion!  Well, they deserve it not; but I’ll do the pair a harmless service all the same, merely for old-time days,” he muttered, as he folded up the two broadsides and stuffed them into his pocket.

While the aide was thus engaged, Washington rode over to inspect the prisoners.  Here it was to discover the squire and Janice, the former having been made a prize of by a more zealous than sagacious militiaman.  Giving directions to march the prisoners at once under guard to Morristown, the commander turned to the girl.