“All aboard!” one of the rowers called.
Jack and Annie hurried down the steep riverbank. They climbed back into the boat.
The crew pushed away from the shore. The boat started back through the icy, churning waters of the Delaware River.
Jack was freezing in the sleet and snow. But he didn’t worry about that now. He was thinking instead about how they had helped George Washington. He was thinking about how they had helped keep history on its course.
When they got to the riverbank, Jack and Annie jumped out of the boat.
“Thanks!” Jack yelled to the rowers.
With the wind at their backs, Jack and Annie took off through the blizzard. They ran down the icy bank of the Delaware River.
Thunder rumbled in the snowy sky.
Lightning zigzagged over the woods.
“How will we find the tree house?” cried Annie.
“I don’t know!” said Jack. “But don’t worry! We’ll find it!”
He felt very confident now, after meeting George Washington. After being thanked by George Washington!
He and Annie ran on through the rain and the snow and the sleet.
They ran along the riverbank—until a bright flash of lightning lit up the sky. Then Jack saw it!
The tree house was directly to their left, high in a tall tree covered with snow.
“Over there!” he shouted.
Jack and Annie ran toward the edge of the woods.
In the dark, Jack looked up, searching for the tree house.
Lightning lit the woods again. Jack saw the rope ladder flapping wildly in the wind.
He grabbed it.
“Annie!” he called.
“Here!” she said.
“Let’s go!” he said.
They climbed up the swaying ladder and scrambled into the tree house. They were soaking wet and covered with slush and snow.
Annie grabbed the Pennsylvania book.
“I wish we could go there!” she shouted.
The wind blew even harder.
The tree house started to spin.
It spun faster and faster.
Then everything was still.
Absolutely still.