Editor’s Note: This is an ongoing series which runs each Thursday morning titled the Richland Chronicles Volume 5, by author Paul Lintern. It is set in the 1860s and tells the story of Richland County through the eyes of young people. This is the fifth in a series. Volume I was Amelia Changes Her Tune. Volume II was Isaac and Wolf Paw Find Their Home. Volume III was Autumn Keeps Her Secret. Volume IV was Mr. Gamble Starts a School.
“I’m here for my bounty, Finney,” the stranger, Jackson, said loudly.
“I am sorry friend, but you must be mistaken,” Mr. Finney replied, stepping out onto the front porch. “Three negroes, men, one big, two slight, all dark and tall. They are from Tennessee and they are mine to collect.”
“Friend, this is not where you will find whatever you are looking for.”
“We’ll see about that. Boys, start looking.”
“I am afraid I cannot allow that. This is private property. I have nothing to hide, but I am not going to permit strangers to search my farm, not without a warrant from Sheriff Weaver and Judge Geddes.
“Now I can give you directions to the Sheriff’s office and the courthouse…”
“We know the way Old Man. Butch, you and Joe go get the warrant. You other two can stay here with me while we wait. Go on, git in there and back as quick as you can,” Jackson said.
Inside, Cassie and Jacob were inching toward the kitchen.
“If he sees you, Jacob, he will know something is up, that you know something,” she whispered.
Mama saw them and mouthed the words, “Is that the stranger?”
They nodded.
Very quietly she motioned them into the kitchen, slowly to not cause noise or distraction. When they all were in, Mama said, very quietly, “You two need to help those slaves escape. Mr. Finney will distract them somehow, I am sure, and they will come looking for Mrs. Finney, because they heard her inside.
“I have to stay here because they will see the horse and wagon and know that someone else is here, but they don’t know about you, and they mustn’t.”
I’m fine with that.
“Somehow we have to get you to the barn and get them out.”
“We have a tunnel, Autumn, down this ladder. It is small but they can get through.
“If they can get the men out of the back part of the loft and through the door away from the house, they can make a run to the cornfield, then hide in the copse of trees on the north side of the field. We have a hideout that you can only see from above.
“Get them there and Mr. Finney will collect them tonight.
“Children, do you understand what Mrs. Finney is saying?”
They nodded.
“Good, now, don’t be seen. I will find you at the Barr Farm at the end of their lane, when I can get away. Understood?”
More nods.
Mrs. Finney opened the floor and the two climbed down the ladder. They heard the men walking in the house, just as Mrs. Finney was closing the floor door and covering it with a rag rug. Jacob and Cassie stood in silence a few moments to let their eyes adjust to the dark.
Only a few rays of light trickled in between floor boards and through air holes, and cracks in some stones. They could hear Mr. Finney talking, and the women saying something as well, but could not make it out.
Footsteps made eerie sounds above them, and when there suddenly were several stomps, Cassie pushed Jacob and said, “We have to get moving.”
Jacob loved heights but hated depths. The thought of crawling through a hole in dirt was just about more than he could take, topped only by the thought of his sister doing it while he couldn’t. So he went first.
Just keep crawling. How hard could this be? Elbows and knees. Not very big. Just keep going.
He felt a push on his feet. It was Cassie pushing him. He wanted to say something, but knew they had to be quiet. She pushed again.
I’m moving, I’m moving. Hold your horses.
He crawled to a light shaft, and could feel some air coming in. A push on his feet kept him going.
This must be halfway. How will we know when we are there?
He was beginning to get the rhythm of moving through the tight space, and as long as he did not notice the aroma of wet dirt or the sound of scurrying creatures or the feel of spider webs on his face as he moved along, he was fine.
Just move, just move, just move.
Suddenly, he bumped a wall of dirt. He was at the end. He hadn’t noticed that he was in a bigger space. He felt around and realized he could stand up.
He felt a ladder and quietly climbed it, six or eight steps to a loose board in the floor of the barn.
“Slowly,” Cassie whispered.
Right, in case someone is here.
He raised the floor board, and peaked out. They were in the barn, all right. The main door was open and facing the house, but he could slip out of the hole by crawling behind a row of hay bales.
Once they were out, he pointed to the loft, the far side where the runaways would be. Cassie pointed to the ladder in back, a way to get up there without being seen from the door.
“You go up. I’ll wait here,” she said.
“You don’t want to go up?”
“I’ll wait for you here; this is the door we are supposed to use to leave.”
You’re afraid of heights. I forgot.
“Fine, I’ll do it. You watch the door, scout out our path. I’ll be back.”
He scurried up the ladder, walked across the beam that led to the loft, and quietly called out for the three runaways.
“Where are you? We have to move out of here,” he said as quietly as he could, yet still be heard.”
No response.
They don’t know we’re coming. They don’t know we have a plan. They probably think I’m a bounty hunter.
“I am not a bounty hunter, I am Jacob, your friend. Mr. Finney wants me to take you to another hiding spot.”
Still no response.
How do I convince them?
“I’m only 10. My sister and I saw you yesterday. We are here to help. Please come out.”
Nothing. What do I do?
“Friends, look at me. You can see I’m not a bad guy!”
Slowly some straw began to move. Eventually a head emerged out the top, then arms and a body. Soon, two more appeared. Three large black men towered over Jacob, saying nothing.
They are big!
He cleared his throat.
“I’m here to take you to safety.”
