That night, even though everything was about to change, they got ready for the gathering the same as always. Just before they headed for the woods, Mama said, “You all bundle up tonight. It’s cold.”
Ann and Paul put on extra layers, but Mama urged them to put on more.
“Mama, that’s all we have,” said Ann. She thought Mama must be trying to take extra good care of them for their last days together. Ann already had on two dresses. Paul wore his only pants and two shirts.
“It’s mighty cold,” said Daddy. “Wrap up your feet too.” Since they didn’t have shoes, this was how they kept their feet warm in the winter. Everyone wrapped up and bundled up. Mama even put extra cloth around Elizabeth.
Mama gathered what looked like all of their food, both rations from Master Adam and vegetables from the garden, and wrapped it up in a cloth. She tied the ends to make it easy to carry.
The Saturday party was just like it always was, but it didn’t feel the same to Ann. It was the last Saturday party she’d ever have.
She sat and watched everyone. She tried to memorize every face and the words to every story and every song. She studied the dancing. She left the food on her tongue longer than normal, so she would remember the taste.
Paul sat right up under Mama and ate his food. He listened to the stories and laughed at the men trying to get women to dance with them. Ann knew that her little brother had no idea that his life was about to change forever.
“Time to head back now,” said one of the older women.
Everyone collected their things and began heading back to the farm. Mama moved slower than usual. Daddy hugged Daniel tight and patted his back. By the time Mama was finished gathering their leftover food, everyone else was already out of sight.
Daddy bent down in front of Ann and Paul. “Listen,” he said. “We’re heading north. Right now.”
Ann’s eyes bulged. “We’re running away? On the Underground Railroad?”
“Shhh,” warned Mama. She looked around to make sure no one was there.
Daddy nodded. “I can’t bear to see you get sold. A family belongs together.”
“Sold?” asked Paul. “Who’s getting sold?”
Daddy took both of Paul’s hands. “Nobody.”
Ann wondered what had changed Daddy’s mind, but she didn’t ask. All that mattered was that they were leaving together.
They stood in a huddle as Daddy told them everything he knew about the Underground Railroad and the trip north. Ann listened to every word he said. She knew he might need her help.
“We don’t have a conductor to lead us north,” said Daddy. “We’ll have to find our own way.”
“What’s a conductor?” asked Paul. His voice was too loud as usual, and Mama shushed him.
Daddy said, “Those are the people who lead runaways to freedom and keep them safe.”
Ann was starting to worry. If they didn’t have a conductor, they might get lost.
Daddy continued. “I’m not sure exactly where to go, so we just have to keep heading north.”
Mama’s eyes got big. “John, you don’t know where the first station is?”
Daddy shook his head, and Paul asked, “What’s a station?”
“It’s a place where runaways can rest and get help,” answered Mama. Ann could tell from Mama’s voice that she was worried too.
Daddy said, “We have to travel at night. It’ll be scary, so you have to be brave.”
“Scary?” asked Paul.
“Yes. But you can be brave, right?” asked Daddy. Paul didn’t answer, so Daddy continued, “We’ll have to hide a lot and listen out for pattyrollers.”
“Pattyrollers?” asked Ann, looking back and forth between Mama and Daddy. “What are pattyrollers?” Neither one of her parents answered right away, so she knew pattyrollers must be bad.
Finally Daddy said, “Pattyrollers get paid to hunt escaped slaves and bring them back. They’ll hurt you if they have to.”
Ann swallowed. People who got paid to hunt other people were probably some of the meanest people there were. She hoped they wouldn’t hurt children… or babies.
As if Daddy could read her mind he said, “Just be quiet and stay close. I’ll keep you safe. But we have to go now.”
Ann threw her arms around her daddy. He hugged her tighter than he ever had. “Thank you, Daddy,” whispered Ann.
“There’s no way I’m letting you two get sold,” he said.
Ann smiled. Now Daddy stood tall and looked up into the night sky. Ann knew he was looking for the North Star. He put his finger over his lips to tell them to be quiet and pointed at the star. Then he motioned for them to follow him.
Ann’s family headed north. Inside her chest, her heart beat strong like a drum, but she took a breath and remembered to be brave.
An owl hooted and Paul grabbed onto Mama’s skirt. “Mama, are there ghosts out here?” he asked.
“Shhh,” said Mama. Then she shook her head.
A mosquito buzzed in Ann’s ear, and she swatted at it. Something scurried in the bushes off to her left, and something else screeched behind her. She thought maybe there were ghosts out in the woods. Just like she’d heard stories of Anansi, she’d heard stories of swamp ghosts who tried to lure people deep into the woods.
Be brave, Ann thought to herself.
As they walked through the black of night, Ann felt the ground get soggier. Every step made a sucking noise, and she cringed. Daddy had told them to be quiet, but there was nothing they could do about the ground.
Ann had to lift her feet higher, because the grass here was taller. The moisture soaked through the cloth around her feet, and she was glad Mama had made her bundle up. Even in the dark, she could see vines in the trees. Her questions about the world outside of the farm were getting answered, and she wasn’t sure she liked it.
Ahead of her, Daddy stopped. “We’re just about at Greenbriar Swamp,” he whispered. He looked up. “At the first light, we’ll have to hide.”
Ann looked at Mama. Mama was worried—it was all over her face. Still, Mama nodded and followed Daddy when he walked again. Paul was practically under Mama’s skirt.
Thorns scratched at Ann’s legs, and something much bigger than a mosquito buzzed past her face. She covered her mouth to hold in a yelp. Ann hoped it didn’t get worse than this.
Just when Ann was about to ask Daddy if they could rest, he stopped. “We’ll walk a ways in the swamp, so we don’t leave footprints,” he whispered. “Then we need to lie down in the grass all day and wait for night.”
Lying in the grass seemed like a good idea to Ann. It would give her a chance to build up her courage again.
“I’m hungry,” said Paul.
Daddy nodded at Mama, and she gave everyone a strip of pork to eat while they walked through the swamp. Ann felt something slither past her ankle in the muddy water and jumped. The splash scared Paul, and he squealed. Daddy glared at them and put his finger to his lips again.
The trip north was going to be harder than Ann thought. Right now she was causing more trouble than Paul. She would have to do better.
Finally, just before sunrise, Daddy moved to the edge of the swamp and found a spot for each one of them to lay in the grass.
When Daddy pointed to the spot for Paul, the boy whispered, “I want to hide with Mama.”
Daddy pointed again, with a thrust of his arm, like he meant it. Paul sulked, but he lay down in his spot.
As the sun rose in the sky, Ann’s family rested in the muddy grass. Ann watched big white birds fly silently in the sky above her. She could hear the soft sound of Paul snoring several feet away. She hoped nobody passing by would hear it.
Then she realized nobody would be passing by. They were in the middle of nowhere. Her bravery returned, and she let herself doze off.
The
sound of baby Elizabeth hollering woke Ann up. She opened her eyes and off to the left, she saw a man with a big hat standing over Daddy. The hat was so big Ann couldn’t see the man’s face. Paul crawled to Mama, who sat up in her spot. Mama nursed the baby to keep her quiet. Daddy slowly rose to his feet to face the man.
CHAPTER FOUR
Eastern Maryland, near Greenbriar Swamp
Sunday, November 19, 1854
Midday
Ann watched Daddy stand up and hoped the man didn’t hit him. Daddy looked the man straight in the face and said, “Afternoon.”
“Good afternoon,” said the man. He took off his hat to scratch his head.
“Mama!” yelled Paul. “He’s a Negro like us!”
“Hush,” said Mama.
Paul knew how to act when the overseer was looking, but when it was just the five of them, he acted like he didn’t have any sense. Ann wished she was sitting with Paul so she could cover his mouth.
But Ann was surprised by the man’s brown skin too. She was glad he wasn’t white, but she knew he could still be trouble. He could tell on them. Or he could capture them and have them arrested.
“What are you doing out here in the swamp?” asked the man.
Daddy didn’t trust many people, and Ann wondered if he’d tell the truth. But Daddy just stood there eye to eye with the stranger and didn’t answer at all. They stood like that so long Ann thought maybe she should answer the man herself. She didn’t want him to get mad at Daddy and hurt him.
Finally the man stuck out his hand. “I’m Nathan,” he said. “I live over there. I’m just checking on my muskrat traps.”
Daddy shook Nathan’s hand, but he didn’t tell him his name.
“You don’t need to be scared,” said Nathan. “Come with me.”
Ann knew it didn’t matter if Nathan was good or bad. There was nothing they could do but go with him. Daddy glanced at Mama nervously and motioned for them to come. They followed Nathan a short distance to a small house.
“This is my house,” Nathan said.
A woman came to the door. “Nathan, who’s this?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” said Nathan. “But I reckon they need our help.”
The woman looked in all directions, then hurried them into the house. “Y’all are safe with us,” she said. “Go on and sit down.”
Mama’s face relaxed. She sat down with baby Elizabeth in a chair near the fire. Paul sat on her lap, even though there was no room for him. Ann stood next to Daddy and waited to see what would happen.
Nathan pointed to the woman. “This is my wife, Mattie.”
Daddy nodded at her. Finally he introduced himself. “I’m John. This is my wife, Beth,” he said. He pointed to his children. “This is Ann, Paul, and baby Elizabeth.”
Nathan said, “You running away?”
Daddy didn’t answer, so Nathan kept talking. “I won’t tell. Mattie and I are free.”
Paul said, “You’re free? You ran away too? Are we in the North?”
“Be quiet, Paul,” said Daddy. Now their secret was out, thanks to Paul.
Nathan explained how he had saved up his money and bought his freedom, then worked until he could buy Mattie’s freedom too.
While he talked, Ann looked around the room. The floors were wood instead of dirt, and they had a table to eat at. There were even a few dishes on a shelf against the wall. Ann noticed that both Mattie and Nathan wore real shoes.
She liked the way freedom looked so far. She imagined her family sitting at a table eating dinner.
Nathan smiled at Paul. “You’re not in the North. Not yet,” he said.
Daddy lowered his voice. “We’d sure appreciate any help you can give us in getting there.”
Nathan sighed. “I don’t know a lot about the Underground Railroad. We aren’t a station. I don’t know where to find one, but we’ll do what we can.”
Mattie said, “We’ll feed you, and you can stay here until dark. I think I can give you some fresh clothes too.”
Tears fell from Mama’s eyes. “Thank you,” she said.
Ann could see the trip was taking its toll on Mama. The circles under her eyes were darker than usual, and the corners of her mouth turned down. She looked like all that was left of her inner fire were embers. Ann wiped Mama’s tears with her fingertips.
They all unwrapped their feet so they wouldn’t get any more mud on Mattie’s floor. Since they wore all the clothes they owned layered on top of each other, they peeled off their outside layers too.
Paul only had one layer on his bottom half, because he only had one pair of pants. They used to belong to someone else, and they were way too big for Paul. His shirt hung down to his bony knees.
Mattie gave them some possum stew. While they ate, Mattie took Paul’s pants and cut the wet part off the bottom. They almost looked clean, and now they weren’t too long any more. Paul put them back on and grinned at Mattie.
Mattie also gave Mama a pair of shoes and wrapped fresh cloth around Ann’s feet. Ann wished this was the North so they could stay with Mattie and Nathan longer.
Daddy and Nathan talked in low whispers off to the side. Before long, it was dark outside.
“All right. It’s time to go,” said Daddy. “Nathan, Mattie, thank you for your help.”
Nathan said, “Remember, go past the fields and keep going until you get to the Choptank River. Follow it north.”
Daddy nodded. Nathan and Mattie stood outside and watched Ann and her family head back toward the swamp. In silence, they made their way north. They continued to walk for hours and hours. With a full stomach, Ann felt much better. The sounds of the night were less scary.
They kept a steady pace until Ann could smell mud in the air. Then she saw the river in front of them. The moonlight reflected off of the water. It almost looked peaceful.
They kept the river beside them and walked in the grass a long way. Finally Daddy crouched in the bushes and motioned for them to join him. They ate some ashcake and listened to the night sounds.
Daddy said, “When the tide starts to come in, we’ll walk into the river. The tide will cover our prints.”
Paul whined, “Daddy, how long till we’re in the North?”
“I don’t know,” said Daddy. “Tomorrow’s Monday, and the overseer will know we’re gone when we aren’t in the field. We need to get as far as we can before that happens.” Daddy kept his pace and ignored Paul’s sighs.
Ann was the first one to hear something rustle in the bushes. Whatever it was, it was big. It moved again, and Daddy motioned for them to all lie down.
Ann held her breath. The thing in the bushes moved again, and a stick snapped. They stayed as still as logs in the bushes.
Ann saw feet pass the bushes where she hid. Then another pair and another. They were not alone out here.
A voice whispered, “She said it was just west of the Choptank. Just go through where it branches off into a smaller river to get there.”
“I don’t see nothin’,” said another voice.
“She said face the river, go straight across it, then keep going till we see the house,” said the first voice.
There was a long silence, and Ann could see the three pairs of feet standing with the toes pointed toward each other. The people were standing in a circle. Suddenly one of the voices said, “Did you hear that?”
Ann’s stomach tied in a knot. Elizabeth was making little grunting noises in the bush where Mama was hiding. The feet moved toward the bush.
Just in time, Daddy jumped out. The other people jumped back. There were a lot of shuffling noises, and one pair of feet ran off in the other direction. Someone whispered, “Run, y’all!”
Another voice whispered, “No. It’s all right. It’s more runaways.”
Ann, Mama, and Paul stayed hidden in the
bushes and listened to Daddy talk to the other voices. They were on their way to a station on the Underground Railroad. Ann couldn’t believe it! Maybe her family could go to the station too. They talked so quietly Ann couldn’t hear anything else they said.
After a while, Daddy whispered, “You all can come out of the bushes.” Ann was the first to crawl out. Two men and a boy about Ann’s age stood with Daddy.
Ann was full of questions. She wondered where the men were from. She wondered how long they’d been running. Most of all, she wanted to know how they knew where the station was and whether or not it was all right for them to bring along extra people.
When Daddy motioned for his family to follow the men, Ann was relieved. Daddy put Ann on his shoulders, and one of the other men put Paul on his. The boy held Mama’s hand. Together they made their way across the small river.
Ann looked down from her spot on Daddy’s shoulders to make sure the water wasn’t getting deep, but it never rose above Mama’s waist. The sun was just coming up, but they could see a house in the distance. Ann knew it had to be the station. It was so close they would be there in no time. They made it across and crouched next to the river.
The three strangers decided to keep going all the way to the station, even though it was almost daylight. Daddy decided to go with them to check everything out first. Then at nightfall, if everything was all right, his family would join him. Ann didn’t want to wait, but she didn’t want to travel with the sun coming up either.
Daddy said, “Beth, if this doesn’t work out, get back to the river. Nathan said walk north in the water until the river disappears.”
Ann, Paul, Mama, and the baby crept as close to the house as they could, then hid in the bushes. They watched the men walk. They all crouched down low, instead of walking tall.
As the men approached the house, Ann heard hoofbeats in the distance, and one word came to mind: pattyrollers.
Ann Fights for Freedom Page 2