Due North to Freedom

by Terence O'Grady

  Chapter Eleven: Plotting the Escape

  Later that afternoon, Ryan and Matthew hurried down the hallway of the old school where Abigail was a teacher. Hearing voices at the other end of the hallway, they ducked briefly into a deserted classroom. It would be better if no one saw them. They didn’t want to explain to anyone why they were there and didn’t want to get Abigail into trouble.

  Finally, they found their sister’s room and peeked around the corner. She was there, grading papers at her desk. They bounded in quickly and Abigail glanced up, a surprised look on her face.

  “You two rascals! How did you get here?” she said, smiling cheerfully.

  “We ran all the way after school was out!” boasted Matthew. “We hoped to catch you before you left.”

  “Oh, it’ll be a long time before I get back to my lodgings this evening, Matthew,” she said wearily. “I have arithmetic papers to correct and spelling and…”

  “Actually,” interrupted Ryan, “we’re not just here to pass the time, Abigail. We’ve come on a mission.”

  Abigail smiled again. “A mission? Really!”

  “This is serious, Abigail,” said Matthew, frowning slightly. “We’ve got to save someone’s life but we need your help to do it.”

  Abigail nodded her head somberly. “All right, I think it’s time for you two to sit down and tell me what this is all about—slowly and starting from the beginning.”

  The boys did. They explained how Mr. Smith had been taken from his home. How shots had been fired and how Joseph, Ryan and Matthew had managed to escape, hiding in an old warehouse to avoid the men pursuing them. They explained how Joseph was forced to stay in the old warehouse because he didn’t dare to go back to his home, and how Ryan and Matthew had brought him back to stay in their cellar. But then Lettie had discovered Joseph and so they had to move him again, this time to the shed out back. But Father had told the boys that they mustn’t have anything to do with Joseph so he was forced to go back to the old warehouse and stay there.

  But in the meantime, Joseph had discovered that his father had been taken to the old Chimborazo hospital and was being held there in a prison ward. That’s when the three of them decided that it was up to them to sneak into the hospital and rescue Mr. Smith.

  “Sneak in to the hospital and rescue him? Just like that?” asked Abigail.

  “Well, I suppose it won’t be easy,” said Ryan, “but there must be some way to do it.”

  Abigail shook her head gently. “Boys, I know this is very important to you and I admire both your cause and your nobility of spirit. But really…how are two little boys just going to march into the hospital and take one of the patients who just happens to be under an armed guard?”

  “That’s where we thought you could help us, Abigail,” said Matthew eagerly.

  “Me? So I’m supposed to just walk into a closely guarded hospital and walk out with one of the prisoners?” said Abigail. “Do I just do this in broad daylight or can I at least wait for nightfall?”

  “But Abigail,” pleaded Matthew, “the hospital is not as closely guarded as you’d expect. We’ve been out there—twice now—and we know for a fact that you can sneak in without getting caught.”

  “You’ve been sneaking around Chimborazo hospital?” gasped Abigail. “I can’t believe it! Father and Mother would have a fit if they knew that!”

  “There’s no reason for them to know it,” Ryan said calmly. “I know Father wouldn’t want us to do it, but he doesn’t really understand the situation. And he’s always telling us to follow our principles. Joseph and his father need our help and there’s no one else who can do it.”

  “Ryan…Matthew…I’m so sorry but there’s no way that I could possibly…” began Abigail.

  “Joseph’s father will die if he goes to prison, Abigail,” said Ryan firmly.

  “You don’t know that, Ryan,” countered Abigail.

  “I think there’s a good possibility,” said Ryan. “Joseph has heard that his father may be transferred to Castle Thunder after he leaves the hospital. How many black men walk out of Castle Thunder?”

  Abigail shook her head slowly. “This is just crazy. Whatever gives you the idea that anything like this can work?”

  “We know it can work, Abigail,” said Matthew eagerly. “We’ve got it all figured out.”

  “It’s like this,” explained Ryan. “Joseph knows the son of an orderly and he’s already been able to get hold of his father’s extra uniform. You go in there pretending that you’re bringing flowers and foodstuffs to the soldiers. Ladies do that all of the time at the hospital. Then you find Mr. Smith, have him put on the orderly’s uniform and the two of you can just walk right out the door together. You just walk to the front gate and Joseph will be there in a wagon to pick you up. And, just in case that doesn’t work, you know that the Chimborazo hill runs right down to the river. Joseph’s already got a boat and we’ll be waiting for you there if anything goes wrong. No one will pay any mind to another small boat on the river.”

  “The ladies of Richmond often bring flowers to the Confederate soldiers in the hospital, Ryan,” said Abigail warily. “You said yourself that Mr. Smith will be under armed guard. He won’t be kept with the Confederate wounded.”

  “Well…no, probably not,” admitted Ryan. “But once you’re in the hospital, I’m sure you can find Mr. Smith.”

  “Ryan, the hospital is huge. It’s by no means certain that I locate Mr. Smith and, even if I do, what makes you think I can sneak him past the guards?”

  Ryan looked frustrated. “I don’t know. I’m not sure how it’s going to work, but I know we must try. If you can’t help us, Abigail, then I guess we’ll have to do it ourselves.”

  “Oh, so if I refuse to help, I send my two little brothers off like lambs to the slaughter,” said Abigail mournfully.

  “Something like that,” said Matthew, a sly smile crossing his face.

  Abigail paused, shaking her head slowly. “You know, boys, I don’t think your scheme has any chance at all of succeeding. But I admire your determination to help a friend who seems to sorely need it. And I admire your courage. So here’s what I’ll do. I’ll go and visit the hospital tonight, bringing some flowers for the soldiers. Maybe…just maybe…I’ll be able to locate Mr. Smith. Even if I do find him, the chances are that he’ll be closely guarded and I won’t be able to do a thing. But I guess there’s only one way to find out.”