188 Windfalls 



them parts, and he took to the woods. There 

 was some as might see him 'fore he come up 

 with the British. And what's more," here 

 old Humphrey's manner changed and he 

 lowered his voice, as if there was danger 

 still in telling his story, " what's more, he 

 was home in time to turn up at Crosswicks 

 askin' for news, innercent-like, when word 

 came o' the battle o' Princeton ;" and, in a 

 still more mysterious way, continued, " they 

 do say that hoss o' his'n never tired, and his 

 feet didn't touch the ground when goin' 

 through the woods, but was carried by 

 spooks till there was good footin' ag'in. 

 You see," and we children felt a strange 

 importance in being the recipients of the 

 opinion ; " you see, if things had V gone 

 straight, Washin'ton wouldn't 'a' played his 

 little game, and things might 'a' been differ- 

 ent." Is it strange that, as children, we 

 were sorry that " things didn't go differ- 

 ent," and the Tories, in time, become the 

 rulers of the land ? Apollo Woodward 

 was a hero in our minds before we had 

 heard of the Revolutionary generals. They 

 came later, and not in a way to eclipse our 

 earlier favorites. I have heard old Hum- 



