Free Hear the Wind Blow by Mary Downing Hahn Page B

Colby's farm. Snow and ice lingered in gray lacy patches under trees and in shadowy places, but most of it was gone already. The road was muddy and rutted, and Ranger picked his way carefully.

    A cardinal as red as blood flew past us and a flock of crows cawed from the treetops, but we saw no one. The road stretched ahead, winding through fields and in and out of woods. Not too long ago, we would have passed farmers with carts, men on horseback, families in carriages, or folks just walking along. Now there was no one. Not even a soldier.
    Over our heads, trees swayed in the wind, making a sound like a crowd mourning a great loss. Gray clouds hung low and heavy above the brown fields. Frozen ponds reflected the dull sky. Not a cow to be seen. Not a sheep. Not even a squirrel.
    "Are we almost there?" Rachel asked after a couple of hours. "I'm cold and hungry. And my legs hurt from sitting so long."
    I looked to the west. The sun was barely visible through the clouds, but I could tell it wasn't far above the mountains. It would be dark in less than an hour. "We must be close," I said.
    "I surely hope so. Seems like we've been riding all day," Rachel said wearily.

    "Would you rather we were walking?"
    "No."
    "Well, then."
    Rachel sighed and shifted her position. For a while she was silent. The sun slid farther down the sky, lighting the horizon with a long streak of purple. Darkness gathered in the woods, as thick as wool spun from black sheep. The wind rose, rattling in the trees like something trying to break free, moaning every now and then in a woeful way. With all my heart I wished we'd left home earlier.
    "You said we'd be there before nightfall." Rachel sounded fearful.
    "We will," I said, praying I was right.
    Rachel held me tighter. "But, Haswell, the woods look so dark. Will bears eat us?"
    "Of course not. They hibernate in the winter. Don't you know anything?" Nonetheless, I touched the butt of the revolver, which I'd stuck in my waistband. It was good to know Rachel and I had some protection. Not from wild animals but men. Deserters, raiders—who knew what manner of person you'd meet so far from houses and towns?
    By now we'd reached a bridge I remembered from other trips. I knew that bridge meant we were almost to the farm.
    "We're close now, Rachel. Remember that bridge up ahead?"
    Rachel hugged me. "Yes, Papa used to pretend it was the bridge at Concord and he'd recite that poem about the shot heard round the world."
    I nodded, but for some reason I felt uneasy. The woods on the other side of the bridge were already dark. Tree crowded against tree. Branches intertwined across the road, so it looked like a tunnel leading into the night. A crow cawed and flew out of a tall oak, followed by three or four others. Ruffians, Mama called them, making trouble wherever they went. Outlaws, bandits, thieving rascals.

    Ranger slowed, his ears pointed, as if he sensed something, too. I didn't know whether I should urge him forward or rein him in. Could be he was spooked by a shadow or a branch, but he hadn't shown signs of nervousness before.
    I leaned close to his head. "What's the matter, fellow?"
    Ranger snorted and pawed at the bridge with his front hoof. But he didn't move.
    Rachel's grip on me tightened. "Why are we stopping, Haswell?"
    "Oh, you know how horses are, Rachel. Sometimes they don't care much for bridges." I nudged Ranger. "Step along, sir."
    Rachel was the first to spy what was bothering Ranger. "Haswell," she cried. "There's someone on the road. See?"
    Sure enough, just beyond the bridge a bundle of rags lay in a heap in the mud. Bending over it was a man, desperately pulling at something. He looked up when Rachel spoke. His face was in shadow, but I could see enough of him to tell he was half starved. His hair and beard had grown long and wild and his clothes were nothing but rags.
    "I found him first," the man hollered in a half-crazed way. "He's mine. You keep away!"
    The man gave a final jerk at the