CHAPTER SIX

Eastern Maryland, near the Choptank River
Monday, November 20, 1854
Late evening

Ann couldn’t let Mama give up on their freedom. She couldn’t let Paul down. She couldn’t let baby Elizabeth grow up and spend her whole life working in a field for nothing.

“Let’s go on,” Ann whispered. They had to keep moving. She led them back to the river, right into the water.

Mama put a hand on Ann’s shoulder to make her stop. “We have to go back, Ann.”

Paul started to cry. “They’re gon’ sell us, Mama. I don’t want to be sold.”

“Shh,” said Mama. “Someone will hear you carrying on.”

Everyone being upset made Elizabeth cry, and Ann got angry. “You two are going to get us killed. If we go back, there’s no telling what they’ll do. If we stand here, we’ll get caught for sure,” she said. “You all need to hush. We’re going north.”

Ann was surprised by the strength in her words. She didn’t usually talk to her Mama like this. Paul looked up at Mama, who blinked and stared at Ann.

Mama put her finger in Elizabeth’s mouth, and the baby stopped crying. Paul wiped his tears with his hand. They looked ready to move on.

Ann nodded and continued in the direction Daddy had told them to go. She made them walk all night long. She wanted to get as far away from that house and those pattyrollers as she could.

Finally the river started to narrow, and Ann stopped. “We’ll rest here.”

“Ann, I can’t do this alone,” said Mama, starting to cry again. “Not with the baby and the two of you.”

Ann said, “Mama, you’re not alone. You have me.”

Mama sighed. “It would be bad to go back,” she said. “Are you sure you want to do this without Daddy?”

Ann didn’t know if it was fear or hope—or the promise she’d made to Daddy after Elizabeth was born—that made her so determined. She would keep her family safe. Ann nodded, and she knew that settled it. Their journey north wasn’t over yet.

Mama opened her pouch of food. There wasn’t much left. Just a few strips of pork, two pieces of ashcake, and a few little carrots. She ate carrots and a piece of pork, then gave the rest to Ann and Paul. Ann would have to figure out how to get them more food when they moved on.

Paul broke the silence. “Where’s Daddy?” he asked.

It was the question Ann had been asking herself. She knew Mama was thinking about Daddy too. Even though Ann wanted to know, she was afraid to find out. The combination of thinking about Daddy and sitting in the cold night in wet clothes made her shiver.

“I don’t know,” said Mama. “I hope he got away. My heart can’t take losing anybody else in this family.” Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks, and her shoulders slumped. Mama looked like she was too tired to hold her own head up.

Ann knew Mama was thinking about Granny. She spotted some logs not too far off and helped Mama lay down behind one of them. “Get some rest,” Ann whispered.

Mama lay on her side and nursed Elizabeth. Ann put Paul behind another log. She lay with him until he started to snore, then she crept off to her own log. She needed to be alone to think.

Ann didn’t know she’d fallen asleep until the barking of bloodhounds woke her up. In a single movement, she was on her feet. She rushed to Mama and helped her up. Paul grabbed Mama’s hand.

Deep barks, growls, and howls echoed through the night. The dogs sounded like they wanted nothing more than to catch Ann and her family. Ann wanted nothing more than to make sure that didn’t happen.

“Run!” said Ann.

It was still dark, but Ann could see the river. She didn’t want to run in it, because the dogs would hear the splashing. But if they didn’t run in the river, they would leave footprints.

Ann knew their footprints would give the dogs a scent to follow. So she did the only thing she could think of. She ran as close to the river as she could without being in it.

As she ran, she kept looking back to see if Mama and Paul were still with her. Mama and Paul held hands and pulled each other along. The sling that held Elizabeth was cradled in Mama’s other hand. She was trying to keep Elizabeth from bouncing.

Ann heard the dogs splashing in the river behind them. They were getting closer. She would have to try to confuse them. Even though Ann knew it would make noise, she ran into the river hoping they wouldn’t leave a scent for the dogs to follow. After a while she slowed down.

Silently Ann mouthed, We have to cross. She pointed to the other side of the river.

Paul’s eyes got wide, and he shook his head. Ann walked back to Paul and put him on her back. He was heavier than he looked. She started across the river, and Mama walked right next to her. Ann tested the bed of the river before each step she took. She didn’t want to fall. If it got deep suddenly, she would drop Paul. Ann couldn’t swim. They would both drown.

When the water was up to their waists, Ann started to panic. She had no idea how deep the river was. She took deep breaths to help herself stay calm as the barking of the bloodhounds grew more frantic. Soon the water was so high Mama had to raise Elizabeth up. Paul’s behind was in the water.

One of the dogs let out a long howl, and Ann could see a spot of light far off in the distance. The men were catching up.

Just when Ann thought they were going to have to head back the way they came, the river got shallow again, and they made it out on the other side. Ann began to run. She forgot to watch for the North Star. She ran like their lives depended on it.