Storm Clouds Rolling In (34 page)

Jamison looked up and started, almost falling from his saddle.

“Welcome.
I am a friend of a friend,” Rose said, giving the code he had directed in the note.

Jamison smiled and dismounted.
“Hello. I’m glad to see you.” He peered closely at Rose. “You’re the girl who gave me the note, aren’t you?”

Rose nodded.
“My name is....”

An upheld hand stopped her.
“It’s best if I don’t know you for now. There’s time for that later. Secrecy is of the utmost importance.”

Rose nodded.
“Everyone is waiting. Follow me.” Jamison led his horse a ways into the woods and tied him securely to a branch. Rose answered his unasked question. “I will bring you back to your horse.”

Jamison nodded silently and fell in behind her.
They followed a trail only Rose could see for about ten minutes. She had taken every possible minute to scope out the area so things would go smoothly. Suddenly, Rose came to a stop and turned to him. “I am leaving you here for now. The others do not know I have someone with me. I wanted to make sure you were really coming before I told them.” Her words were spoken in a low whisper. “I shall return for you soon,” she said as she turned away.

“I’m sorry I’m late.”
Rose said as she stepped into the clearing.

“I thought you be not coming
.” Sadie exclaimed.

Rose held up her hand before anyone else could say anything.
“We have company tonight.” She smiled as several peered into the darkness behind her. “I asked him to wait a ways back.” She took a deep breath. “Mr. Jamison is with me.”

Shocked expressions surrounded her.

“You mean
, Mr. Jamison of the Underground Railroad?” Jasmine gasped.

“
The same,” Rose agreed, smiling. “I made contact with him two weeks ago. I didn’t want to say anything in case he didn’t show up. I’d like to bring him over now.”

The faces surrounding her remained stunned, but heads began nodding.
All but Moses, who was watching her carefully. “You want me to come with you, Rose?”

She smiled at him gratefully.
“No, thank you, Moses. I’ll be right back. He’s not far.”

Jamison looked around at the circle of eager faces peering at him.
“You say y’all meet on a regular basis for school?” He was amazed.

“Yessir,” Jasmine offered shyly.
“Miss Rose be teaching us how to read so that when we be free we’s can do somethin’ with ourselves.”

“And can you read?” Jamison asked the girl.

“Yessir, I sure can.” she proclaimed eagerly. “Just in the last couple of weeks all them letters started to come together and make sense to me. I read old Sarah some out of her Bible last night.” The pride in the girl’s voice was unmistakable.

Jamison smiled warmly in the firelight.
“Good for you.” He wanted to find out more about each of them, but he knew time was limited. “How many are in your school, Rose?”

“Fifteen, Mr. Jamison.
One of them isn’t with us tonight. He’s with Master Cromwell in Richmond.”

“Fifteen.
Hmm...”

Rose broke into his thinking.
“They might not all be going with you, Mr. Jamison.”

“How many?” he asked.
“It can be worked out to transport all of them to freedom, Rose. It has been done before.”

Rose shrugged.
“Just tell everyone what you have to say. Each person will make their own decision.”

Jamison nodded, eyeing her closely.
He turned to the faces encircling him and smiled again. “I come to you as a conductor of the Underground Railroad. We have helped thousands of slaves make their way to freedom. We do it because we believe all men are created equal. One is not meant to be owned by another. There is a vast network set in place to help us accomplish this. You will not be told everything in advance, but the question you must all ask yourselves is whether you can trust me. You will be putting your life in my hands. Only I will know what the next step is and many times that will change without
my knowing it ahead of time. The Underground Railroad has been successful because we have worked in secret.” Jamison stopped and looked around. “I will not lie about the dangers involved. There are many. There are some, in spite of our best efforts, who have been caught and returned to captivity.”

Jasmine shuddered and wrapped her arms more tightly around her body.
Jamison understood. The wrath of owners and overseers when their slaves were captured during an escape attempt was something to be terrified of. He gave her a warm smile and continued. “In spite of the dangers, there is freedom waiting for you. Thousands who once labored under the bondage of slavery are now free. They are free to live their own lives and make their own decisions—free to marry and have children, knowing they will never have to be separated.”

“How difficult has the Fugitive Slave Act made your work, Mr. Jamison?”

Jamison stared at Rose. “How do you know about that, Rose?”

Rose shrugged.
“I have my sources. I do a lot of reading.” She looked around the fire at her friends. “I think it’s something you should know about before you make your decision. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 makes any federal marshal or other official who does not arrest a runaway slave liable to a fine of one thousand dollars. If you’re caught you won’t have a trial by jury, and you won’t be able to testify on your behalf. Anybody caught helping a runaway slave by providing food or shelter is subject to six months' imprisonment and a one-thousand-dollar fine. Officers who capture a fugitive slave are entitled to a bonus or promotion for their work.”

Jamison smiled in admiration but hastened to calm the fresh fear he saw on the faces around him.
“The Fugitive Slave Act has made our job more difficult in some ways,” he admitted. “But in other ways it has made it easier. So many people were angered by the government’s attempts to haul the poor slaves back into servitude even after they had escaped to freedom, that scores of volunteers have been added to the network. You will find many people who, angered by the injustice of the laws, simply ignore them.”

Rose nodded, obviously relieved.
“What will be the destination of those who decide to escape?”

“Canada,” Jamison responded immediately.
“It is the safest for now. There are no laws in Canada to return slaves.

“Where is Canada?” Jasmine asked eagerly.
“Be it more than a day from here?”

Jamison smiled kindly.
Slaves had no idea of geography. How could they? They had lived a life of enforced ignorance. Their masters knew ignorance bred fear and fear bred obedience.

“Yes, Jasmine.
It is more than a day from here. In fact, it could take weeks and perhaps months to reach Canada. We never know how long a trip will take. They’re all different.”

The whole group gasped in surprise.
But Rose just watched, and listened.

“How we gonna get there, Mr. Jamison?”
Sadie’s voice, sharp and clear, rang out in the clearing. She had obviously made her decision.

“I can’t tell you that for sure.
The plan now is to take you over land. You’ll be walking some, riding some, being hidden in wagons... Whatever it takes to move you from one station to the other. All along the way you will find wonderful people who want nothing more than to help you escape to freedom.” He smiled at the looks of stunned amazement surrounding him.

“People really do things like that for ole’ slaves?” Jasmine asked incredulously.

“You’re not ‘
ole slaves
,” Jamison said firmly. “You are people. Just as human as I am— with dreams, hopes, and a future meant to be lived in freedom.”

The entire group sat up a little straighter as his words pierced the walls they had built around their hearts and minds.

“How many of you will I be carrying to freedom?”
Jamison asked.

Rose stepped forward.
“When do you plan on the escape happening?”

Jamison shrugged.
“That’s pretty much up to you. I will take you when you’re ready. Once I know a date, I will arrange everything.”

Rose nodded.
“I need time to talk with my school. Do you mind if I take you back into the woods for a little ways while we discuss this?”

Jamison smiled.
“Whatever you say, Rose.” He allowed sternness to settle over his features as he looked at the group. “Another thing you have to know. If you decide to go, there is no turning back. You can’t decide you’re too afraid to make it to freedom and try to return. It is too dangerous for those with you and would jeopardize the safety of all other Underground Railroad passengers.”

Sadie voiced the question all of them were silently asking.
“What happens if someone tries to come back?”

Jamison smiled sadly.
“Let’s just say it doesn’t happen.” He turned to Rose. “I’ll return when you’re ready. Let’s go.”

Much murmuring could be heard when Rose stepped back into the clearing.

“Is he a good man, Miss Rose?” Jasmine asked eagerly as soon as she saw her.

Rose sat down quietly. “What do you think, Jasmine?”

The girl didn’t hesitate.
“I think he be a good man. He has eyes I can trust.”

Rose nodded.
“What
you
believe is what’s important. But for the record, I agree with you. My instincts say he can be trusted.” Then she looked around, making eye contact with each student and friend. “This is the chance many of you have been waiting for. Now each of you has to decide what you really want. Escape isn’t going to be easy. You heard Mr. Jamison. It could take weeks, maybe months of being a fugitive until you reach Canada. Once you get there, things might be hard.” She softened her stern tone and smiled. “But you’ll be free.
Free
...” She allowed the word to flow caressingly into the night air. The very sound of it beckoned and called to those who had spent their whole lives being used as objects for someone else’s gain.

Jasmine spoke up eagerly.
“I be going to get on that Underground Railroad for sho. Ain’t nothing goin’ to keep
me
from being free.”

Sadie, sitting next to her, spoke quietly.
“I aim to be on board, too. I’m determined that sometime during my time here on earth, I gonna be free.”

Silence fell on the clearing for several minutes.
Then a soft voice broke into the stillness. “I reckon I’m going to pass up my ride this time.”

Rose said nothing, just waited for Coral to finish speaking.
She wasn’t surprised. Coral was twenty-three and had spent all of her living years on Cromwell Plantation. As far as Rose knew, she had never been beyond the perimeter of the property.

Jasmine couldn’t stand it.
“But why, Coral?” she burst out. “Don’t you know this is our big chance? There may never be another conductor come our way.”

Coral shrugged her ample shoulders.
“Being a slave ain’t so bad. I got me a warm place to sleep and plenty ‘nuff to eat.” She paused and looked to Rose for support. “This be my home.”

Rose smiled gently.
“It’s alright, Coral. Everybody has to make their own decision.” In truth, she was incapable of understanding the way Coral felt. Rose had lived, dreamed, and hoped for freedom for so long. She couldn’t imagine having the chance and giving it up because the old way of life was more comfortable. But her mama had taught her to accept people where they were. Her mama’s words rang in her ears just as if she were standing there.
You can’t do people’s thinkin’ and feelin’ for dem, Rose. Some folks you ain’t neber gonna figure out—you just got to accept them where they be. Dere ain’t no way to get inside a person’s head and figure out what makes them be the way they be. You just got to accept them.

Jamison was beginning to worry.
It was too dark to see his watch face, but he was sure he had been leaning against this tree for almost an hour. He was not an outdoorsman. The myriad of night noises did nothing but intensify the sweat beading on his brow. Should he walk back to the clearing? Would he find anyone there? He laughed at himself for his doubts. Rose could be trusted. She would not leave him here. He could not explain why he was so confident—he just was. He wiped the sweat from his brow and tried once more to relax.

Earlier, as he had
waited out on the inky road for Rose, he had imagined many things. His greatest fear was that someone would betray his activities as an Underground Railroad conductor. He had heard plenty of stories to justify his fear— conductors being run out of their houses, paying high fines to the court, being ostracized by the community. Some conductors had even given their lives to help slaves escape. He knew the risks. He had made the decision to help no matter what, but it didn’t stop the cold sweat from running down his back.

Jamison thought through the careful escape plans.
He would find out tonight how many of the Cromwell slaves were ready to lay their lives on the line for freedom. He tried to breathe normally as he waited. Tense business situations he could handle, but this… This was totally different. He felt as if he were cast adrift from everything comfortable and thrown into the vast unknown.

His thoughts turned to Rose.
She was beautiful as well as intelligent. Her letter to him was articulate and clear. He sincerely hoped she would be part of this group. Instinctively, he knew she would be a good leader.

“You can come back now.”
Rose emerged from the shadows as she spoke. “I’m sorry you had to wait so long.”

Jamison struggled to his feet.
“That’s quite all right. How many of the slaves will you be bringing with you, Rose?”

Rose closed her eyes briefly, trying to shut out the pain his question had caused. “I won’t be one of your passengers, Mr. Jamison.”

“What?” Jamison stopped and looked at her in astonishment. “Why not?”              

Rose started to shrug nonchalantly and then stopped herself.
This was a man who understood the value of freedom. She turned and faced him. Just enough light filtered through the limbs from the waning moon to illuminate them. “There is nothing I would love more than to be free, but I can’t
be one of your passengers, Mr. Jamison.”

“This is your chance, Rose
.”

Rose nodded.
“I know. And I know I may never get another one, but I made a vow a long time ago that I would never leave my mama. Her first children and husband were killed in Africa when they captured her to make her a slave. My daddy was sold when I was less than a month old. I love my mama. She has had too many losses. I won’t be another one.”

“Bring her with you,” Jamison urged.

Rose shook her head sadly. “She is too old. She would never make it. No,” she said firmly. “I will stay here with her. Someday I may get another chance at freedom.”

Her effort to conceal her grief and regret brought tears to Jamison’s eyes.
He reached out and laid a hand gently on her arm. “You’re a brave girl, Rose. I’m sure another chance will come.”

Rose shrugged and forced a smile.
“In the meantime, you have a group waiting for you. There are eight of them. Miles may make nine, but I won’t know until he returns.”