Escape by Night (6 page)

Old Mettie, who worked for them, guarded the cookhouse closely these days. At supper Tommy had begged for extra biscuits, which he hid in his pockets. Later he managed to get some apples and carrots. At the time, it seemed like a lot. Now, it didn't look like much.

“It's five minutes till eight, Samson.”

Samson stood.

Tommy clutched the sack like a security blanket as he tiptoed down the stairs. Samson stayed close at his side. Tommy peeked out the window. The street looked empty. They slipped outside and ducked behind a bush.

The wind blew gently through the trees and sounded like people whispering. Tommy thought of his father and mother, who had left an hour ago. By this time they would be in the Martins' home. How comforting it would be to sit with them now! Tommy shivered, unsure if it was nervousness or the cool fall air. He pulled Samson's warm dog body against him.

Tommy turned his attention to two soldiers who stood in front of the church. When they turned away, he and Samson dashed across Telfair and worked their way up McIntosh Street, moving in and out of the shadows. They crossed McIntosh and hurried to the side door of the church.

As quietly as possible, Tommy pushed open the door. The only light inside came from a couple of lanterns, which cast odd shadows around the tall room. Tommy had never seen the sanctuary look so scary. With the low moaning and restless shifting of soldiers, it reminded him of an Edgar Allan Poe story Marion had once read to him.

Red met them at the door, and they slipped outside.

“Here's the shirt,” Tommy said.

With Tommy's help, Red quickly slipped it on. They walked to the back of the church to avoid the guards. The Augusta depot looked dark and frightening, stretching off to the right behind the church. Lately, the depot had been a place of constant activity, but tonight the trains stood dark and motionless.

Red stopped and put his finger to his lips. Footsteps. Tommy heard them, too, behind the church. It might be the soldiers from the front or some hospital patients strolling around the back. Neither was good.

Red and Tommy crouched at the corner of the building. They didn't have time to wait until the footsteps faded away.

Tommy pulled Samson close and whispered softly in his ear, “See if anyone is there.” He gave Samson a slight push, and the dog walked slowly around the corner.

 

After a minute Samson returned.

“The coast is clear,” Tommy whispered. “If anyone was there, he would have barked.”

Quietly, they made their way along the back of the church to the opposite side. The Medical College building across the street looked quiet.

“Which way?” Red asked.

Tommy pointed across the street to the live oaks, standing strong and tall, like soldiers guarding the way. Tommy and Red dashed to the trees. Then, as normally as possible, they began to walk down Washington Street toward Saint Paul's Episcopal Church and the Savannah River.

They passed a few strangers along the way. At any moment Tommy expected one of them to yell, “Hey, that boy and his dog are helping a Yankee escape!” Tommy pushed the thought from his head and focused on their goal: the river.

Red walked briskly. Tommy and Samson kept up. Tommy felt more confident.

They were almost at Greene Street when, without warning, a dog leaped out at them. A small fence kept him at bay, but the fierce barking and snarling caused Tommy to stumble and fall. Almost immediately, a woman in her nightdress came to the door of a house.

Red quickly crouched behind the fence by Tommy and Samson. A low growl rumbled in Samson's throat. Tommy held him close and stroked his neck.

“Stay down,” Tommy whispered to Red. “I know her, and she's nosy.”

“What in creation is bothering you?” the woman yelled. “Yankees?”

Her dog barked again.

“Well, there aren't any Yankees around here. I'm the one you better worry about.” With that, the woman went back inside.

Tommy got up, glad he could rise without help. He rubbed his hands against his pants.

“You all right?” Red asked.

“Yes, sir,” Tommy said, hoping he sounded confident.

In the distance a soft whistle blew.

“A train,” Tommy said, “coming from South Carolina.”

“How far?” Red asked.

“I can't tell, but we better hurry. There's not enough room on that trestle for you
and
a train. If you're on the trestle when the train comes…”

“I understand,” Red said. He rubbed his stump.

They walked quickly past the next houses and were crossing Greene Street when Mr. Barrett rushed around the corner, nearly knocking them over. He held his rifle in both hands like he was hunting.

“Ah, young Tommy,” he said. “I'm looking for Henry. That worthless excuse for a slave is missing.”

“We haven't seen him,” Tommy said, eyeing the rifle.

“I'm on my way to round up some help,” Mr. Barrett said. Then he noticed Red.

“Tommy, do you have family visiting? I don't recall your father mentioning it.”

“Pardon me,” Tommy said. “This is my mother's cousin, Mr. Redmon Porter.”

Red bowed slightly and extended his hand.

Mr. Barrett shook it. “Sir, I am Wallace Barrett. Unfortunately, I must excuse myself. I am in search of a missing slave. And if he's on the run, he'll be sorry when I get hold of him.”

Mr. Barrett walked away without so much as a good-bye.

“We must hurry,” Red said.

“But what's going to happen to Henry?” Tommy asked.

“Henry's the one we're meeting,” Red said.

 

Red explained that this was Henry's chance for freedom. Mr. Barrett had been watching Henry like a hawk, so Red had told Henry to meet them at Saint Paul's.

Tommy wanted to be happy for Henry, but he was awash with fear. Mr. Barrett was the meanest, most determined man in town. And he shot off his rifle at the slightest thing, good or bad. With Mr. Barrett roaming around carrying a rifle, none of them were safe.

Tommy and Red hurried on to Ellis Street. They kept their heads down as they crossed. It was good practice for Broad Street, which would be the busiest and most dangerous place for running into people they knew.

“If we go through Mary Ellen's backyard, we can avoid the crowded part of Broad Street,” Tommy said.

“Which way?”

“Follow me.”

Tommy cut between two houses. He could hear the voices on Broad Street, less than a block away. He wondered if that was the usual amount of noise or if Mr. Barrett was already organizing his hunting party.

“That's the Wilsons' house,” Tommy said, hoping to distract himself. “Their cat only has three legs. That's Mary Ellen's house. She's my sister Annie's friend.”

They slipped along the edge of the yard, then stepped out onto Broad Street. It was bustling with people. The gaslights flickered along the street, making everything appear less sharp. Tommy hoped it might keep people from noticing them. He quickly scanned the crowd and felt relief at all the unfamiliar faces.

Two more blocks and they would be at Saint Paul's. Red would cross the river and be out of Augusta. Then this would all be over. Tommy hurried across the street. Red and Samson followed. They were continuing quietly through an alleyway to Washington Street when they heard the sound of pounding footsteps behind them.

“In here,” Red said.

They ducked between two houses. It was a tight space. Tommy was close to Red and could smell his shirt. It smelled like Reverend McKnight. Suddenly Tommy longed to be with his father, feeling his strength and confidence.

The footsteps grew closer. This might be it. Someone, maybe Mr. Barrett, had figured it out. Now he was coming for them. That's when Tommy heard a familiar voice whispering, “Tommy. Tommy, where are you?”

“It's Annie!” Tommy exclaimed. He emerged from the shadows. “What are you doing here?”

“I went to get Samson to sleep in my bed, and you were both gone. I figured this was what you were up to. I'm not stupid.”

She stared at Red. “You don't look like a Yankee.”

“Annie!” Tommy said.

“Well, it's true. He looks quite normal.”

“You didn't tell anyone, did you?” Tommy asked.

“No. I want him to get back to his little boy. Besides, one Yankee won't matter.” She smiled at Tommy.

Big Steve began to ring.

“We must go,” Red said.

“Don't worry,” Annie said. “That's just Big Steve ringing. I saw Mary Ellen on Broad Street. She said Mr. Barrett is upset because Henry is missing. They're alerting everyone and starting a search on Reynolds Street.”

Red looked at Tommy. “Is that where we're going?”

“Yes,” Tommy said. He thought quickly. “Annie, we need your help.”

“Doing what?”

“We need you to distract the men.”

“How?”

“Take Samson with you. Go up Reynolds Street. When you get to the boat docks, tell him to bark. He'll do it. Keep him barking. When the group asks what's wrong, tell them you think you saw Henry running toward Telfair Street. That will send them in the opposite direction and give Red a chance to get across the river.”

“I can do it,” Annie said, her face set.

Tommy threw his arms around Annie for a quick hug.

She smiled. “Come on, Samson. We've got a job to do.”

“Go, Samson,” Tommy said.

Annie and Samson dashed off.

The train whistle blew again.

“Hurry,” Tommy said.