by Mikki Sadil
They ran to the coach and climbed inside. Jesse and Bess crawled into the coffins and Ben pushed the tops back on. He huddled against the back of the coach in what little space there was, with his arms around Josiah.
After a few minutes, Robby came back to the coach, but before he could open the door, another man yelled from the kitchen, “They done run away! Them slaves, they’s gone, and the white boy, too.”
Ben heard footsteps running and opened the coach door enough to see Robby racing back into the house. Doors slammed and men swore and yelled. He closed the door and leaned back against Josiah, who was shaking visibly. Ben tightened his grip on him. The coach was the only hiding place they had, with all those men milling around. He shook his head as fear filled his heart, because now there was nothing to do but wait.
Chapter Eighteen
He heard Bess’s voice asking a muffled question. He put his face down on the coffin and whispered, “Bess, we’ve got to stay here. I don’t know what else to do.”
After a long time, the commotion ceased, and everything seemed quiet. From the conversation he had overheard between Robby and the coachman, it sounded like Thaddeus hadn’t trusted the coachman and had contacted this Robby to take over the coach and get them to the Ohio. He had no way of knowing if he would really take them to the river, or if he was just part of an elaborate scheme to get them to some of the slave hunters. No matter what, they had no choice but to stay hidden.
He eased the door open just enough to see out. The coachman, the hunter and his dog, and all the other men were gone. He closed the door again and leaned against it.
Josiah whispered in a quivering voice, “Ben, that man, he gonna catched us an’ send us back for me to git sold?” His eyes were huge in his frightened face and filled with tears.
Ben gave the little boy a tight hug and whispered firmly, “No, Josiah, that man isn’t going to find you and send you back. We are going to be just fine, I promise you.”
They waited. And waited. Finally, they heard footsteps coming their way. Something hit the side of the coach and the door opened a tiny sliver.
A rough voice said, as though to himself, “Well now, them slaves and that white boy musta made a clean getaway, seeing as how we couldn’t find them. I’ll just be going along down towards the river anyway, never know what might pop up.”
The door closed, the weight on the carriage bench shifted, the horses neighed, and the carriage began to move.
After awhile, the coach slowed and came to a stop. The man got down and opened the carriage door wide. It was Robby. He smiled at Ben and Josiah.
“I figgered as how you might be hiding here. The boy’s pa and ma, they in them caskets?”
Ben didn’t answer him directly. “Who are you, and why did you think I’d be here?”
“You don’t have to fear me, boy. I’m Robby, and the Jeffersons hired me. They suspected the old coachman might be of a trouble, and he was. I’m taking you on to the Ohio, as far as I can go. But you and the boy, you come up on the bench with me, like you were before. I ask again, his pa and ma in the caskets?”
Ben stared at him for a moment. “Yes, they’re there.”
Ben helped Josiah out of the cramped space, and they got back on the bench. Robby flicked the whip and the big black horses took off, alternating between a canter and a fast trot as the road became steeper and more winding. Rolling hills and forested lands occasionally revealed large farms, where cows and horses snuffled through the thin covering of snow, searching for something to eat.
Robby sat without speaking, concentrating on the horses and the reins in his hands. Ben glanced at him from time to time, silently praying that the man was who he said he was, and not delivering them into a trap.
They rounded a curve in the road to find it blocked by five men on horseback, with dogs beside them. Ben’s fear intensified as they looked like real slave hunters.
As Robby pulled the horses to a stop, Josiah cowered against Ben. “Shhh, it will be all right. Don’t say anything, and remember, you’re my slave, going with me to help bury my parents,” he whispered. Ben slid down against the back of the coach, and pulled his hat down as far as he could.
The men on horseback were loud, dressed in heavy buckskin jackets and trousers spotted with food stains. Scraggly hair drooped down on their shoulders from under broad dirty hats and mingled with tangled beards. All carried pistols strapped to their waists, and two of them were waving whiskey bottles.
One of them said, “Where might ye be going in that fancy carriage, me friend? And who’s them two young’uns sitting aside ye?”
The instant Ben heard the man’s voice he cringed and lowered his head into his coat collar as far as he could. Phineas! How could that old ruffian have gotten this far from the Andrews’ farm? He must be very determined to find Ben and the slaves to have spent almost a month searching for them. Ben remembered what Grammy said about Phineas Taylor and his boys riding in any direction and as far as they could to catch slaves, get the rewards, or even just indulge in a little slave shooting. He had no doubt that if Phineas recognized him or Josiah he would kill Robby and all of them without a second thought.
Before Robby could answer Phineas, one of the men rode closer to the black horses. “These be mighty fine looking hoss flesh. How ’bout we swaps hosses, eh, me man? I’ll just exchange one a them fine-looking black’uns for this piece of crow bait I’m riding, what say you?” He took a big swig of whiskey and waved the bottle around. “How ’bout that, me friends, think I be swappin’ hosses for sure?”
The other men roared with laughter as he started to dismount. Robby flicked his whip, and the man’s horse jerked sideways and almost unseated him. Robby turned to Phineas. “This is a carriage of death. Inside I carry the bodies of this young lad’s parents, who succumbed to smallpox. The colored boy be the lad’s slave. He’s going with his master to aid in the burial. Would you care to look inside the coach?”
As soon as Robby said “smallpox,” the five men drew back. Phineas said, “No, thanky, friend. The ’pox be the devil’s own evil. We be gettin’ on our way.” The men dug spurs into their horses and galloped down the road toward the town, yelling and shouting in drunken voices.
Robby flicked the reins, and the horses began their run again, hooves throwing up bits of snow and ice as they clip-clopped loudly down the hard-packed dirt road. He looked over at Ben and smiled. “Smallpox is a surefire way to get trouble to leave us be. Rest now, we’ve a long way to go and…hey, what’s wrong? You look like a scared rabbit. Did these thugs frighten you?”
Ben straightened up and pushed the brim of his hat back. “Yes, I was scared. I know the leader of that group. His name is Phineas Taylor. He and his ruffians are from nearby my grandmother’s plantation. If he had recognized me, he wouldn’t give a second thought to shooting you in order to get me and Josiah. He probably would have shot Jesse and Bess, too.”
“Well, we might have had a bit of a to-do if he had drawn his pistol. They’re gone now, and they won’t be back, so you can relax.”
With the sun playing hide-and-seek among the clouds, the day remained cool, until sometime after high noon, when the horses began sweating. Robby pulled the coach carefully off the road and into a copse of trees. He loosened the reins and carriage stays to allow the horses to nibble on the grass.
“I reckon we’ll rest here a bit. I have some water and a little food under the carriage seat, so let’s get your friends out and we’ll have a bite.”
The rest stop was too short, but Robby said they had to move along. He tightened the harnesses on the horses, Jesse and Bess got back into the coffins, and the horses began to gallop again.
The day crept toward night, and the shadows began to lengthen. When the gas lamps of another town came into view, Robby slowed the horses to a brisk walk as he drove them through the town. At the end of the main road, he turned the horses into a short lane that ended in front of a large barn. He pulled them to a stop ju
st as the barn door opened and a man stepped out. He caught the bridles of the first two horses and led the carriage into the barn. When the horses had settled, he walked out and closed the barn door. Robby dropped the reins and turned to Ben and Josiah.
“You can get down and help the boy’s folks out. This is as far as I come with you. You’ll stay in the barn and someone will bring your supper out. I wish ye luck.”
He jumped down and started to walk away, but Ben jumped after him and caught his arm. “Wait a minute. You’re just going to leave us here? I thought you said the Jeffersons sent you to help us.”
Robby shook his head. “Thaddeus was suspicious of the old coachman, that’s why he sent me along to take over. But I go no farther. The people bringing your food know more than I do. I know no more of the plans from here than you do. I be going now. You keep safe, you hear?”
“Wait! I, uh, look, thanks for bringing us this far. And thanks for getting rid of Phineas and his men.”
Robby reached out and gripped Ben’s shoulder. “You’re welcome. You’ll do fine, now. The Ohio is not that far from here. “
Without another word, he left the barn, closing the door behind him.
“I want my mama and papa, Ben,” Josiah said. “Can we gets them outta them boxes now?”
“What, Josiah? Oh, yeah, sure, we’ll help them get out right now.” Ben had been staring at the barn door, as if it might answer the many questions he had. Now there was nothing to do but trust what Robby had said and pray that they had not been led into a trap.
He opened the coach doors and helped Jesse and Bess out of the caskets. They stretched and walked back and forth for a minute, but when Bess started to speak, Ben forestalled her.
“Bess, that man Robby said he doesn’t know what happens next, that we have to ask the people who bring us food. We just have to trust him. We don’t have any other choice.”
Bess whispered, “It be okay, Ben. Whatever happen now, we know you did the bestest you could. We be thankin’ you for that.”
A few minutes later, the barn door opened and the same man who had led the carriage into the barn came back. He unhitched the horses and led them into stalls where fresh hay was waiting in feeders. He steered the carriage into a large, dimly lit section at the back of the barn and then left, all without speaking a word.
Shortly after, the door opened a second time, and a man and woman entered carrying plates of hot bread, fried pork, and some vegetables. They set the food down on a long table at the back of the barn and beckoned for everyone to come. When they sat down, the man said, “Eat hearty. We will put some food into a knapsack and that will have to take you through to the other side.”
Ben didn’t like the sound of that. “Other side? What does that mean? Where are we, and who are you?”
“Methinks it is of no importance for you to know who we are. As to the other side, I mean the other side of the river. The Ohio River is about ten miles from here. We cannot get you closer than here, so the rest is up to you. Outside of this town is a big forest you must go through. Once through it, you will be at the Ohio.”
“That’s all there is to it? After all we’ve been through, that seems just a mite too easy.” Ben rubbed his sweating palms on his pants legs and wished fervently that the tightness in his chest would go away. He stared at the man, his lips compressed into a thin line.
“There is more to it, of course. You have to get to the beach where the boats are. Someone will be there to take you across the river. That’s all the help I can give you. The rest is up to you. When it is time for you to leave, I’ll come and give you final instructions. For now, rest and eat, and stay in the barn until I come for you.”
They left without another word. The only sound in the barn was that of the horses in their stalls, chomping on their hay.
The three adults stood looking at each other, not speaking. The silence was broken when Josiah spoke.
“Mama, I’m powerful hungry. Can I has some of this here food?”
Bess looked at Ben.
“Sure, Josiah, I’m hungry, too. Let’s all sit down and eat.”
When they had finished the supper, there was nothing left on the platters. Ben felt sick with all he had eaten, but he didn’t much care. He figured it would be a long time before they had a hot supper again.
Time crawled by, and while they were waiting, Ben got out of the uncomfortable funeral clothes and put his own back on. Finally, the barn doors opened and the man and woman came back in. The woman was carrying a knapsack.
The man said to Ben, “It is time for you to leave. You must go north by northwest through the woods until you reach a small stream. The stream runs due north and it will take you to the community of Ludlow. Once the stream bends back into the woods, you will be near the military fort. Here’s…”
“A fort? We have to pass by a fort?” Ben was increasingly anxious.
“Yes, you have to walk along the side of the fort to get to the beach. You must be very careful and very quiet. Soldiers will be on duty on the parapets. The boats are on the far side of the fort, at least a half mile or more. Someone will meet you when you get there.”
Ben said, “How will we know if the person who meets us is not a slave hunter?”
“The slave hunters have been in Ludlow for the last few days. Today they moved on and won’t be back for a while, so ’tis safe for you to leave here. The most dangerous part of this journey is getting beyond the fort. You can do it, as others have before you. However, the soldiers are on the alert now, so it is not an easy task. It is a long walk along the side of the fort, and it’s very risky. Take your time, watch what the soldiers are doing, and pick the right moment. The man who meets you will wait. If you do not get to the boats before daybreak, he will be there again when dark has fallen.”
The woman said, “Here, I have food for you. Take it with God’s blessings. Go now, and God be with you.” She gave the knapsack to Bess and smiled at them before she left.
The man handed a small compass and some matches to Ben. “We have but a few matches to spare, so use them wisely. Godspeed to you all.” He walked out, leaving the barn doors open.
The cold night air whistled through the barn, and once again Ben was thankful for the heavy jackets and mufflers the Jeffersons had given them. He glanced around the barn before speaking.
“We’re almost there, almost to the Ohio River. Let’s get moving.”
Chapter Nineteen
Ben decided to use the compass the man had given him rather than the old one in his pocket. He struck a match, watched the hand of the compass swing around to north by northwest, and headed in that direction. It wasn’t long before open ground gave way to the dark woods of the forest which climbed up one hill and down another. Walking was precarious, as the wet leaves at the bottom of hills where light snow had melted were slippery underfoot. Unseen branches reached out like ghostly fingers to snag their clothes on the uphill climbs. Once Josiah cried out as he walked into a spider web, and another time he tripped over a clump of dead roots.
Ben licked his dry lips and winced at the raw taste of animal musk. The moon came out and shone down through the trees, creating eerie shadows that played tricks with his mind. More than once, he veered away from something he thought was clump of thickets or trees, only to stumble against a real tree or large rock.
Hours passed before Ben heard the sound of running water. The stream was nearby. At the same time, something crashed loudly through the underbrush, startling all of them.
“Mama, what’s that noise?” Josiah whispered. He shrank against Bess.
“It’s okay, it’s only some animal, probably a deer. I reckon we woke him up and scared the daylights out of him. You think so, Josiah?” Ben forced a laugh, hoping to ease the boy’s fear.
“Yah, Ben, we scare him good, huh!” Josiah giggled and started walking again.
“Let’s stop for a minute. I want to check the compass again.” Ben lit a match and watched th
e needle slowly move around until it was pointing directly north.
“Okay, we can hear water running, so that must be the stream they told us about. It should be only a few yards ahead.”
The water in the stream was icy cold, but sweet tasting. They drank and rested for a few minutes before starting out again.
The excitement of being so close to the end of their journey had worn off, and only exhaustion remained. Walking so close to the stream, the pungent odors of skunk, possums, raccoons, and other forest animals that came to drink hung heavy in the air. Taking a deep breath without choking was impossible. The forest was humid, airless, and they walked more and more slowly.
Eventually the woods began to thin out, the stream disappeared back into the forest, and they could just make out the outline of a building in the distance. When they got closer, the outline became the military fort the man had told them about. The gas lamps in the turrets began to go out, one by one. With dawn breaking, soldiers were clearly visible walking along the parapets of the fort’s wall.
Ben turned to Jesse and Bess. “It’s already getting light. We’ve got to hide again until nightfall. Come on, let’s get back into a deeper part of the woods.”
Bess hesitated. “Ben, we come so far. How ’bout that man who suppose to take us cross the river, maybe he don’t wait for another night. Can’t we keep goin’?”
“Look, it’s already daylight. We couldn’t possibly get past the soldiers now. We’ve got to stay here until nightfall. If the man isn’t there, well, maybe we’ll just have to steal a boat and get ourselves across.” Ben’s voice was firm, even as his mind replayed a fear that all was not what it was supposed to be.
They moved quietly back into the forest, and Bess passed out some of the cornbread and ham she found in the knapsack. When Jesse asked for more, she said, “There be more, but we got to save some for later.” She closed the knapsack firmly, put it under her head for a pillow, and settled down beside Jesse for a nap.