32

THE DUTCHMAN

TO SPARE THEIR OWN NECKS, the three lynch-men hired by the Dutchman had secured the two cousins in a slave transportation crate with no food or water until their boss arrived by boat from New Orleans the next day. Their feet were shackled with irons used for slave trading. When the emaciated men were led out of their crates, their wrists were then clamped in place on the slave stockade near the loading ramp, where they were now being beaten senseless.

The raging Dutchman screamed with each crack of the whip, “You’re lying thieves!”

Both boys cried out in agony as the end of the whip pierced open their skin like a razor blade. He beat the two cousins with his own horsewhip until their backs resembled raw meat. The man became so enraged by their stupidity that the blood vessels in his head throbbed for days. The fiery red Dutchman was close to passing out from heatstroke before he was satisfied that his whip had driven out the truth of how Lilly escaped. Sweat was pouring out of him when he finally stopped. He spit on the bleeding bodies before turning toward the three men watching in revulsion. If it had not been for the heat, the Dutchman would probably have continued beating them until they were dead.

“Well! What are you waiting for?” he said, gasping for breath and using his silk dress-shirt sleeve to wipe his dripping face. “Find me that girl! She can’t be far, so get me to town to post a ransom for her capture. I’ve the papers proving she’s my property.”

The stunned observers scrambled for horses to hitch the carriage. Within minutes, the Dutchman was on a lethal quest to capture Lilly by advertising in every major newspaper and posting a reward in railroad stations across the Southern states. Because of her unusual looks and captivating speech, she’d be an easy find. In those parts, tracking down runaway slaves was an exciting hunting sport that most corrupt men thrived upon. A lucrative reward added to the thrill of the chase, but most hooligans hyped on liquor would have patrolled for free to hunt darkies down like animals. The Fugitive Slave Act was a license to shoot first and ask questions later unless the slave owner posted a reward for the runaway slave.

After hiring horsemen to post additional notices throughout smaller towns, the Dutchman and his three lynch-men headed toward Savannah. The Dutchman had a carriage with a driver and the three men rode horseback not far behind. They lodged in a small inn outside of Savannah. The three men spent most of the night drinking ale in the adjacent tavern, anticipating the Dutchman’s next move.

Alone in his room with a bottle of expensive Scotch, the Dutchman contemplated his unfinished business with the baroness. He needed to act quickly since she was the only witness to Lilly’s deal. The document he possessed was a forged copy of official forms he used for the legal purchase or sale of slaves. Since the baroness did not legally own Lilly, they had to falsify the information. The astute slave trader ascertained that Lilly’s friends had certainly gone to the police after her disappearance. Assuredly the baroness put on a command performance as the heartbroken mistress of the domain when questioned by the authorities. If Lilly returned to Savannah before he captured her, Katelyn would point the finger at the baroness, and she would give him away to save herself. Her reputation in Savannah as a lady in society would hold a lot of clout with the police. He’d have a lot of explaining to do about the kidnapping. No, it was too much of a gamble, so the wild card needed discarding to capture the winning pot of gold. The New Orleans buyer for Lilly already had his cards on the table as the highest bidder. The wealthy plantation owner offered a king’s reward for such a delicate and fine possession as Lilly.

He downed another glass of Scotch before retiring for the night.