The blue eyes widened, went to the approaching stranger, back to the parent, kindled with understanding. “Yes, sir!” Jacob scampered from them.
Alien halted. “What you been talkin1 about?” he demanded.
“Can’t a man speak to his son any more in these United States?” The smallest bit of harshness touched Edmonds’ tone. “I almost wish my religion would let me kick thee off my grounds. Meanwhile, at least leave us alone in our business. // doesn’t hurt, anybody.”
In spite of his weapons, Alien looked uneasy. Edmonds stood bear-powerful. “I got my livin’ to make, same as you,” the slavecatcher mumbled.
“Plenty of honest jobs around. Where is thee from?”
“Kentucky. Where else? Gabe Yancy and me, we been trackin’ that coon for days.”
“Then the poor creature must be half dead from hunger and weariness. The Ohio’s a wide river. Thee does not think she could swim across, does thee?”
“I dunno how, but them niggers got their ways. Some-body’d seen her yestiddy on t’ other bank, like she meant to cross. So we ferried over this mornin’, and sure ‘nough, found somebody else who’d sported what had to be her. And then we seen her ourselves, till she went into the woods. If only we’d’a had a dawg or two—”
“Brave men, chasing unarmed women like animals.”
The rider leaned forward. “Listen,” he said, “she ain’t jest any old runaway off a plantation. They’s somethin’ queer about her, somethin’ real wrong. That’s how come Mr. Montgomery was fixin’ to sell her south. He wants her back for more’n the money she’s worth.” He wet his lips. “And don’t you forget, if she gits away, you got a thousand dollars owin’ to him, ‘sides the fine and jail.”
“That’s if they can prove I had anything to do with her escape.”
Anger flashed: “You won’t lie your way out o’ this.”
“Lying is against the principles of the Society of Friends. Now kindly let me get on with my work.”
“So you don’t lie to nobody, huh? You ready to swear you ain’t hidin’ any nigger?”
“Swearing is against our religion too. We don’t lie, that’s all. It doesn’t mean we have to make conversation.” Edmonds turned his back and walked off. Alien didn’t pursue him, but after a minute took up his rounds again.
In the dimness of the wagon shed, Edmonds began to repair his plow. His mind wasn’t really on it. At last he nodded to “himself and returned to the house. Alien’s look followed his every step.
Inside, he asked Jane, “How’s our guest?”
“I took some food up to her,” she said. “Starved, she is. This is the first station she’s found.”
“She struck off entirely on her own?”
“Well, naturally she’d heard about the Underground Railroad, but only that it exists. She lived on roots, grubs, a few times a meal in a slave cabin. Swam the river last night during the storm, with a piece of driftwood to keep her afloat.”
“If ever anybody earned freedom, she has. How did she find us?”
“Came on a Negro man and asked. From what she told me, I think it must have been Tommy Bradford.”
Edmonds frowned. “I’d better speak to Tommy. He’s a steady fellow, but we’ll have to be more careful in future… Well, we’re pretty new in this traffic. Our first passenger.”
“Too soon,” she said fearfully. “We should have waited till thee had the hidey-hole dug and furnished.”
“This duty can’t wait, dear.”
“No, but— What shall we do? Those dreadful anti-Abolitionists in the neighborhood—they would be glad to see us ruined—”
“Speak no evil of people. Jesse Lyndon is misguided, but he’s not a bad man at heart. He’ll come to the light eventually. Meanwhile, I have a notion.” Edmonds raised his voice. “Jacob!”
The boy entered the plainly, comfortably furnished parlor. “Yes, father?” Excitement danced in his tone, his whole being.
Looming over him, Edmonds laid a hand on his shoulder. “Listen carefully, son. I have an errand for thee. We have a guest today. For reasons that thee doesn’t need to know, she’s staying in the attic. Her dress isn’t fit to be seen in. It was ail she had, but we will provide her decent clothes. I want thee to take the foul old garment elsewhere and get rid of it. Can thee do that?”