Map of the Traitor

Written by Moe Zilla

The sun rose as George Washington rode by – tall, proud, and respected by his men.

Nate rode slowly towards him, delivering an important message from the Virginia militia. In the woods, an owl hooted as the American soldiers passed on their horses, disturbing its sleep. It was early on a hot morning in July, 1780.

“The British would split our army into two smaller pieces,” General Washington was saying. “But they can't! They can't travel up the river, since we've fortified the fort at West Point.”

Bright sunshine sparkled on a lake as Nate approached with his message. Like everyone, Nate revered General Washington. Nearly 6,000 British soldiers had surrendered to Washington's troops at the battle of Saratoga three years earlier. But now Nate was bringing the General bad news, and as his horse clomped up the muddy farmland road, he nervously hoped that it wouldn't make his leader angry. As Nate approached, he recognized the famous general from his blue coat and three-cornered hat.

“What's your name?” the general asked.

“Jate Nackson,” he said nervously. “I mean, Nate Jackson.”

General Washington smiled and asked if the Virginia militia was sending more troops.

“Only 200, sir.” Nate saw little hint of disappointment in the general's face. It seemed Washington's success always depended on his strategy, not his resources.

But suddenly, they spotted a messenger galloping towards them on a white horse.

“Sir!” the messenger shouted. “The British are planning to attack our West Point fort tonight.”

“But how?”

“A traitor has given them a detailed map!”

General Washington was alarmed, and asked for more information. Panting for breath, the messenger told his story: “It was midnight in the woods when the British major received the map,” he said quickly. “The major hid the map in his boot and disguised himself in American clothing, traveling all night on a secret path through the woods.”

A worried silence fell over the group of soldiers.

“As the sun rose, he was spotted making his escape on foot. And he's traveling down this very road!”

General Washington turned suddenly to Nate. “Did you spend this morning riding towards us on this road?”

Nate nodded quickly.

“Then you must've passed the British major. We can still capture him – if we know what he looks like!”

“But General,” Nate stammered, “I passed four men on the road! Any one of them could've been the British major in disguise.” He hated to disappoint General Washington again, but unfortunately, it was the truth.

“There's only one thing to do,” the messenger said. “The fate of the American army depends on it, and maybe the fate of America itself. We must identify and capture the British major – and fast.” Within minutes, Nate was galloping down the road with some of General Washington's best soldiers.

But could they locate the traitor's map?

Suddenly, they spotted the first traveler on the road. Nate remembered seeing this man. He was traveling fast, and wearing a heavy cotton shirt. “Good morning,” the soldiers called out.

“What's good about it?” the old man complained. “This heat brings mosquitoes. I only hope I don't catch a disease!” Sweat had soaked his shirt, and mud covered his humble trousers and bare feet.

The soldiers laughed politely at the man's obvious discomfort. The man said his name was Edward, and that he'd been farming the land along the road for 15 years. “And I still don't like this weather!”

“Look!” said Nate, pointing to another traveler, just a half mile up the road. They had barely noticed him, since his brown shirt blended with the mud around him. Leaving two soldiers to bring Edward behind them, Nate galloped quickly towards the figure with the rest of the soldiers.

They discovered a young man in a thin brown shirt and leather vest. He glared at the soldiers as they arrived, and seemed uninterested in their mission. When they asked him where he was headed, he replied: “What business is it of yours?” He seemed like the wealthy son of a merchant.

“What's your name?” Nate asked politely.

“Lucius,” he said, sullenly, but he was clearly angry with the soldiers.

“How old are you?”

“Seventeen, and I hope the British beat your army,” he declared, “and soon!”

“You're supporting the British?" Nate asked.

“Lots of people do,” Lucius replied. “About one out of every six people is supporting the British. War disrupts trading. I may be only a teenager, but I know that trading is what feeds my family!”

Nate could understand his bitterness. With two soldiers escorting Lucius, the men rode on.

The sun was getting even hotter as they passed a wide field of wheat. But soon, far ahead, they spotted a cloud of dust on the road. Nate and the soldiers galloped faster towards the cloud, discovering it came from a trotting grey horse and its shaggy-haired rider. The man's clothes were covered with dust, which had even dirtied his long, shaggy hair.

“My name's Benjamin,” the man said. “Can I help you?” he asked politely.

Nate was pleased that Benjamin was much more friendly than the last traveler they'd met. Benjamin said he planned to travel the road all the way to Charleston so he could visit his nephew.

“It's a long way, but I figured I'd take my time,” he laughed. “I'm going just until I can find a shady tree to eat lunch under!”

It did sound like a reasonable plan. But when Nate looked down the road ahead, he thought he'd spotted the fourth traveler. Leaving two soldiers behind, Nate and the others rode their horses up the road. They were soon greeted by a young man in his twenties, walking slowly down the road.

Nate eyed him suspiciously, but the man seemed friendly enough. “Hello!” he said as Nate approached.

“My name's Nate.”

“Well, my name's Jonathan!” He extended his hand for a hearty handshake.

Jonathan had short, yellow hair, and he shielded his eyes as he looked up at Nate. The midday sun was bright, as it was now nearly noon; but Jonathan's eyes were also red, and lined with dark circles. Jonathan said he was traveling to the Virginia coast, where he hoped to find work as a sailor.

“It's a hard road to travel,” said Jonathan. “But an honest road.”

Nate sat on his horse, thinking about the four travelers they'd met. The American army might be destroyed unless he determined which traveler was secretly a major in the British army.

As the soldiers gathered the suspects, his eyes lit up with excitement, “I know who has the traitor's map!”