Just then Rosie and Evelyn joined them, followed almost immediately by
Walter and Grace, when Lulu gave them in a few hasty sentences the
information her father had given her in regard to the history of Lewis,
and told of their near approach to it.

Every one was interested and all hurried from the breakfast-table to the
deck in time to catch a view of the place, though a rather distant one.

When it had vanished from sight, Evelyn turned to Captain Raymond,
exclaiming, "O sir, will you not point out Forts Mercer and Mifflin to
us when we come in sight of them?"

"With pleasure," he replied. "They are at Red Bank. Port Mercer on the
New Jersey shore of the Delaware River, a few miles below Philadelphia,
Fort Mifflin on the other side of the river on Great and Little Mud
Islands. It was, in Revolutionary days, a strong redoubt with quite
extensive outworks."

"Did our men fight the British there in the Revolutionary war, papa?"
asked Grace.

"Yes; it was in the fall of 1777, soon after the battle of the
Brandywine, in which, as you may remember, the Americans were defeated.
They retreated to Chester that night, marched the next day toward
Philadelphia, and encamped near Germantown. Howe followed and took
possession of the city of Philadelphia.

"The Americans, fearing such an event, had put obstructions in the
Delaware River to prevent the British ships from ascending it, and also