Editor’s Note: This is an ongoing series which runs each Thursday morning titled the Richland Chronicles Volume 3, by author Paul Lintern. It is set in 1831 and tells the story of Richland County through the eyes of young people. This is the third in a three-book trilogy. Volume 1 was Amelia Changes Her Tune, while Volume II was Isaac and Wolf Paw Find Their Home.

Thus began the secret missions of Autumn and Ermina, helping Mr. Day deliver four more “shipments” during the next few weeks, twice to the Gurneys in Savannah, once to a farm near Mr. Gamble’s mill along the upper Black Fork, and once all the way to another wagon near Uniontown, in the northeastern part of the county.

That “shipment” was on its way to a new college in Oberlin, a full night’s journey north of Uniontown.

On that occasion, the girls even went to the Days’ farm by themselves and helped a young couple get settled in the wagon, loaded it with straw, hitched the horses and drove it slowly to the state road, where Mr. Day met them.

He told them that it was important not to set a pattern that might look suspicious to people who would be looking for such things.

Autumn was surprised how young the couple was. The woman seemed not much older than Emily and the man hardly older than Wolf Paw. He was wearing new boots, just like the first man she had seen. Autumn found out it was because Mr. Day gives each man a pair.

“A new life should have new boots,” he had told her.

How did they have the courage to run off like that, and how did they know where to go?

“Where will they end up?” she finally asked Mr. Day, as they rode on the wagon.

“Someplace they won’t be discovered, I hope.” “Can they stay in Ohio?”

“Only if they are surrounded by people who will protect their new identity and not talk to strangers about them. The owner or someone hired by him could be hunting them and a simple comment by a neighbor could give a clue,” Mr. Day said.

“Canada is safer,” Ermina said.

“But Ohio doesn’t have slaves,” Autumn said.

“Never has,” said Mr. Day. “We are the first state that can say that; all the others before us, the original colonies, had slavery at some point. All the southern states, and even New York and New Jersey still have it.”

“But why?” Autumn said.

“It is the way of the world. The Hebrews were slaves 4,000 years ago, and they weren’t the first. It only ends if people make it end. I hope you will see the end of slavery in this country in your lifetime. In my lifetime, too,” Mr. Day said.

Suddenly a light went on in Autumn’s head. “Was my grandfather a slave?”

“What do you mean?” Mr. Day asked.

“He and his wife had to work for Amelia’s grandfather for seven years to come to America.”

“He was an indentured servant. He agreed to work for that time in exchange for passage to Massachusetts. That is not a slave; Mr. Pendergast did not own your grandparents, but they were obligated to him.

“And after seven years, they were free,” he said.

And soon these two will be free.

Autumn thought of Amelia, and the different world she came from in Boston. She wondered if Father ever felt like he was trapped there, and whether he ran away to Ohio, even though he wasn’t obligated to Mr. Pendergast.

Amelia and I sure have had fun together.

She thought of running around in the woods and helping at the Inn, and even serving guests. It was more fun with a partner to help.

But I still can’t tell her my secret.

Autumn was having more difficulty explaining to Amelia why she had to go alone on these trips, and didn’t always tell her that Ermina was going along. Thankfully, Amelia hadn’t pushed for better answers.

When I get back, we’ll ride ol’ Chestnut to Olivesburgh and just have fun, maybe a picnic and swimming.

Without the boys.

When she got home that night, she was extra attentive to Amelia and bragged about the fiddle playing to all the guests.

And though she was very tired the next day, she kept her promise to herself and took Amelia on Chestnut, with little Joshua tagging along.

They talked about their many adventures and about the family friend, Appleseed John. He planted and sold apple trees, helped with medicines made out of herbs and entertained people with his unusual appearance, colorful stories and sincere sermons.

Autumn was careful not to say anything about runaways or slaves or special deliveries, but she always felt bad to have to keep quiet.

She almost let part of her secret out that day when Amelia mentioned some Quakers she knew in Boston, and Autumn was about to tell her about the Gurneys.

Don’t say anything, blabbermouth, because you won’t be able to explain why you know them and she shouldn’t know about Savannah.

Instead, Autumn let Amelia go on about the family and their unusual way of speaking, and just pretended she knew nothing about it. Besides, it was wonderful to hear Amelia talk about her home, because it seemed so different, so modern and fancy, and she could tell Amelia perked up when someone showed interest in her home.

It may be my imagination, but she doesn’t seem to put on airs anymore. She doesn’t act better than others. Maybe we just know each other better.

As they were strolling home on Chestnut, Autumn noticed that her horse was nervous around the Big Hill, and even refused to go up the hill when Autumn tried. They just rode around the north end of the hill on their way home and only after they arrived at the Inn did Autumn find out why.

An old Indian named Cornstalk had stopped by to say he had found a lair of hundreds of rattlesnakes on the hill, and offered, for a loaf of bread, to show Autumn’s father where it was. Jacob and his brother John rode up to see it, then came back with plans to gather a group of farmers to “harvest” the snakes before they began harassing the livestock.

Isaac and Wolf Paw were included in the group, so Autumn asked if she and Amelia could go along.

After a pause, Jacob said, “You can collect the rattles.”