Free A Day to Pick Your Own Cotton by Michael Phillips Page B

as I had felt since my family had been killed. I got drowsy and then slowly closed my eyes.
    I must have been more tired than I realized, because when I woke up it was the middle of the night sometime. I sat up suddenly, remembering that I needed to get back home. But I knew instantly that there was no use of that. It was pitch black. There was no moon anywhere in the sky, and I didn’t want to risk trying to find my way in the dark.
    I didn’t know the way well enough and who knew where I’d wind up.
    There was nothing to do but go back to sleep, which I did easily enough, even though I was hungry again and a mite cold.
    The next thing I knew, a snorty, fleshy nose was sniffing around at my face. It woke me up with a start. The sun was back up and Katie’s horse was letting me know that it was time to get started back toward home where his trough of oats was waiting for him.
    I got myself up and stretched out the kinks. By now I was really hungry, but there wouldn’t be anything to eat till I walked into the kitchen back at Rosewood. So there wasn’t any sense wasting any more time. I took a big drink of water, and then we got back on the road.
    I pushed the poor horse a mite harder than maybe I should have, but I knew we were both anxious to get back. I was mighty relieved when I finally saw the buildings of Rosewood up ahead.
    “Miss Katie!” I called as we galloped in and stopped at the back of the house. “Miss Katie … I’m back!”
    I ran into the kitchen, expecting to find her there. But it was empty.
    “Miss Katie!” I hollered up the stairs. “Miss Katie, you up there?”
    There was no answer. The whole house was quiet, so I knew she wasn’t inside. But from the fire and the look of things, it hadn’t been long since she’d been there. Then all of a sudden I realized something else—I didn’t hear Emma and William anywhere either!
    Then I really started to get worried. What could have happened to them?
    They must have all gone someplace … but where?
    I walked back outside. Maybe she was out in the barn, I thought, and hadn’t heard me ride in, although I didn’t know how that could be.
    I led the tired horse across the entryway and to the stables, looking all around as I went.
    “Miss Katie!” I called into the barn. “You in there … Emma!”
    But there was no sign of them. The cows weren’t there either, so she must have milked them and gotten them out to pasture all right.
    I unsaddled the horse, got him some fresh oats, and left him to look around some more. I’d brush him down later.
    Where could they be?
    I stood in the middle of the yard between the house and barn and looked all around. It was completely quiet. Now for the first time I noticed that the dogs weren’t around either. That’s what made it so quiet. Then it struck me that they were probably down at the slave cabins! That must be it. She was probably setting another fire to get it ready. And maybe showing Emma what to do, or maybe fixing a place for her to hide with William if any men came looking for her.
    I turned and ran down the road, then turned off to the right toward the colored town, and was there in about three minutes.
    “Miss Katie!” I called. “Miss Katie … you in there? I’m home, Miss Katie.”
    But if anything it was even quieter here than back at the house. And she sure wasn’t there.
    I walked back up the hill to the road, then back toward the house, hoping against hope that this time when I got there I’d see Katie waiting for me. But I didn’t.
    Now I was downright worried.
    I frantically ran everywhere all about the place, into every building, all through the house and barn. But she just wasn’t anywhere.
    What could have happened to her?
    Suddenly I remembered Katie’s secret place in the woods. That had to be where she was!
    I tore off running and didn’t stop till I was standing there in the little wood with the stream running past my feet.
    But it was completely quiet. There