by Jan McDonald - St. Cloud Times

Chapter Eighteen5:50 A.M.Vocabulary/Definition/Contentvolleyn. a burst or outpouring of many things at once or inquick succession“A volley of shots smashed up against the wood houselike beating hammers.”stupefactionn. overwhelming amazement“They stood in the middle of the room, guns in theirhands, looks of utter stupefaction on their faces.”writhedv. to twist as in pain or struggle“Jonathan, gasping for breath, writhed and clawed atthe Hessian’s arm...”spasmodicallyadv. with spasms, with spurts and fits“Jonathan twitched spasmodically.”exposedadj. left without shelter or protection“The Hessians, now unshielded and completelyexposed, stood frozen, then seemed to tumbleforward.”Question/Predict/Evaluate1. What does Jonathan find when he enters the cabin?2. Explain Jonathan’s next moves. What is he trying to do? Do you think Jonathan made theright decision?3. How do the Hessians respond to the volley of shots? Do they know they are offered surrender?4. Do you believe that if the Hessians gave up, the Corporal would spare their lives?5. Both sides used Jonathan. Explain.6. Describe how the battle played out.7. How do you think it ended? What does the silence signify? How will Jonathan be judged?The Newspaper Connection1. A free and democratic press is the foundation of a free society. Choose one of the two battles inthis story - the first skirmish on the road or the second at the cabin. Write it as a front page newsstory. Write the headline, the lead, and the body of the story. Use as many details as possible togive your readers a feel for what really happened.23