Read Online Escape Into the Night by Lois Walfrid Johnson - Free Book Online
Authors: Lois Walfrid Johnson
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leash. As he held it above the dog, Caleb walked forward. As though Samson had followed all his life, he padded after Caleb. Now and then Caleb gave a slight jerk on the leash to remind the dog where he should go.Each time Samson obeyed.
Caleb gave Libby a turn with Samson, then unhitched the wagon. “His owner must have spent a lot of time training him,” Caleb said. “Samson wouldn’t know this much otherwise.”
“Aren’t you going to try more?” Libby asked.
Caleb shook his head. “I want to stop while he’s still having fun. Then he’ll want to do it again.”
Just then Libby remembered that she had planned to find out what Caleb was up to. As she sat down on a large box on one side of the boat, she asked, “What do you think happened to that young slave we saw yesterday?”
“Jordan?” Still petting the dog, Caleb sat on a small barrel. “The man who bought him is a slave trader. Of all the people I know, Riggs has the worst reputation.”
“For being cruel?” That wasn’t hard for Libby to understand.
“He doesn’t just beat his slaves because they’ve done something wrong. He beats them to make sure they
don’t
do something wrong.”
Libby had never heard of such a strange way of thinking. “So no matter how hard a slave tries to do everything right, he can’t please Riggs?”
Caleb’s blue eyes reflected his worry. “It’s as though Riggs has to prove he’s boss.”
“Aren’t there any slave owners who are kind?” Libby asked.
“Sure,” Caleb answered. “Some owners treat their slaves like family. And the house servants really are. A Negro mother brings up the master’s children. Sometimes those children feel really close to their mammy.”
“Because the mammy takes care of them all the time?” Libby understood that too.
“But is it
kind
to keep someone a slave?” Caleb asked. “And a lot of owners don’t care what happens to Negro families. They sell husbands away from wives, children away from parents.”
Libby felt like weeping again. She knew what it meant to be separated from a mother by death, from a father by distance. “If a slave runs away, the owner hires a slave catcher.” Caleb leaned forward, wanting Libby to understand. “The owner offers a big reward if the fugitive is caught.”
Now he’ll tell me! Libby felt sure she could find out whatever she wanted to know.
“Caleb,” she asked, “what did you mean when you whispered to Jordan?”
Suddenly Caleb grew quiet. “You heard me whisper?”
Libby nodded. “You said, ‘Alton. Tomorrow night. The
Christina
.’”
“You’re sure that’s what you heard?” As though it weren’t important, Caleb leaned back against the railing.
“I’m sure,” Libby answered. “And why did you bring out a different gangplank in Burlington?”
“In Burlington?” Caleb sounded like an echo.
“When the three Negro men came aboard.”
Still Caleb’s expression did not change. “Different gangplank,” he said, as if still thinking. “What do you mean by that, Libby?”
“The
Christina
has three planks. When they’re put together side by side they make a ramp.”
“Oh yeah. That was the ramp Judas went up.” Suddenly Caleb laughed. “In all the time I’ve been on this boat, I’ve never seen anything as funny as those goats running through the cabin.”
Libby laughed along with him. “It was funny, wasn’t it?” She remembered how she flung herself after the goat, how she had tumbled off when he brushed her against the wall. Now it seemed ridiculous.
Caleb’s grin lit his face. “Next time we have a goat run loose, I’m going to send you after him!”
As they kept talking, the sun set over the city of Saint Louis. The rose-colored sky felt like the warmth in Libby’s heart. Again Caleb seemed as if he could be a friend.
Yet, alone in her room that night, Libby realized something.
I still don’t know what Caleb is doing!
The next morning Libby saw men carry a large mirror on
Caleb gave Libby a turn with Samson, then unhitched the wagon. “His owner must have spent a lot of time training him,” Caleb said. “Samson wouldn’t know this much otherwise.”
“Aren’t you going to try more?” Libby asked.
Caleb shook his head. “I want to stop while he’s still having fun. Then he’ll want to do it again.”
Just then Libby remembered that she had planned to find out what Caleb was up to. As she sat down on a large box on one side of the boat, she asked, “What do you think happened to that young slave we saw yesterday?”
“Jordan?” Still petting the dog, Caleb sat on a small barrel. “The man who bought him is a slave trader. Of all the people I know, Riggs has the worst reputation.”
“For being cruel?” That wasn’t hard for Libby to understand.
“He doesn’t just beat his slaves because they’ve done something wrong. He beats them to make sure they
don’t
do something wrong.”
Libby had never heard of such a strange way of thinking. “So no matter how hard a slave tries to do everything right, he can’t please Riggs?”
Caleb’s blue eyes reflected his worry. “It’s as though Riggs has to prove he’s boss.”
“Aren’t there any slave owners who are kind?” Libby asked.
“Sure,” Caleb answered. “Some owners treat their slaves like family. And the house servants really are. A Negro mother brings up the master’s children. Sometimes those children feel really close to their mammy.”
“Because the mammy takes care of them all the time?” Libby understood that too.
“But is it
kind
to keep someone a slave?” Caleb asked. “And a lot of owners don’t care what happens to Negro families. They sell husbands away from wives, children away from parents.”
Libby felt like weeping again. She knew what it meant to be separated from a mother by death, from a father by distance. “If a slave runs away, the owner hires a slave catcher.” Caleb leaned forward, wanting Libby to understand. “The owner offers a big reward if the fugitive is caught.”
Now he’ll tell me! Libby felt sure she could find out whatever she wanted to know.
“Caleb,” she asked, “what did you mean when you whispered to Jordan?”
Suddenly Caleb grew quiet. “You heard me whisper?”
Libby nodded. “You said, ‘Alton. Tomorrow night. The
Christina
.’”
“You’re sure that’s what you heard?” As though it weren’t important, Caleb leaned back against the railing.
“I’m sure,” Libby answered. “And why did you bring out a different gangplank in Burlington?”
“In Burlington?” Caleb sounded like an echo.
“When the three Negro men came aboard.”
Still Caleb’s expression did not change. “Different gangplank,” he said, as if still thinking. “What do you mean by that, Libby?”
“The
Christina
has three planks. When they’re put together side by side they make a ramp.”
“Oh yeah. That was the ramp Judas went up.” Suddenly Caleb laughed. “In all the time I’ve been on this boat, I’ve never seen anything as funny as those goats running through the cabin.”
Libby laughed along with him. “It was funny, wasn’t it?” She remembered how she flung herself after the goat, how she had tumbled off when he brushed her against the wall. Now it seemed ridiculous.
Caleb’s grin lit his face. “Next time we have a goat run loose, I’m going to send you after him!”
As they kept talking, the sun set over the city of Saint Louis. The rose-colored sky felt like the warmth in Libby’s heart. Again Caleb seemed as if he could be a friend.
Yet, alone in her room that night, Libby realized something.
I still don’t know what Caleb is doing!
The next morning Libby saw men carry a large mirror on
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