Free Guide Me Home by Kim Vogel Sawyer Page A

neck, and baggy tan trousers with the hems rolled up. He held back a whistle. She was here, as promised, but she looked as sorry a sight as the trunk and wagon. “You got a jacket? It be downright cold inside the cave.”
    “Uh-huh.” She lifted the lid of the trunk and removed a brown jacket with mismatched plaid patches on the elbows. The thing looked big enough to swallow her whole. She shrugged it on and then yanked on the waist of her pants again.
    Tolly frowned. “You got some suspenders or a belt in that trunk?”
    She shook her head. One strand of wavy brown hair escaped the hat and straggled down her cheek. She reached to tuck it in again, and her trousers slipped. With a grimace she grabbed the waist and held tightly.
    Tolly snorted. “Girl, you can’t be holdin’ on to yo’ pants when we’s movin’ through the tunnels. Take that jacket off.”
    While she removed her jacket, he pulled out his pocketknife and sawed a three-foot length from the rope. It hurt him to cut into that rope, but he carried it for emergencies. Keeping her britches on her was a sure and certain emergency. He shoved the piece into her hands. “All right. Tie yo’self up.”
    The cut end frayed and made stringing it through the belt loops a challenge, but she got it done without a murmur of complaint. Then she tied a knot. Not the best knot he’d ever seen. It’d likely work itself loose midway through the tour. But he wouldn’t retie it for her. Wouldn’t be seemly even if she was dressed up like a scarecrow.
    “Ready now?”
    She nodded.
    “No, you ain’t. Put yo’ jacket on.”
    She did.
    “Got gloves?”
    She rustled in the trunk and found some old cloth ones that had sure seen better days.
    “Good. Put ’em on.” He waited while she tugged on the raggedy things, then barked, “What about chalk, some watuh, an’ a lantern or candles?”
    Her brown eyes grew round as acorns. “Um…no, sir. I don’t have any of those.”
    He scowled even though he’d known she wouldn’t come prepared. How would she know? But if he was hard on her today, she’d always remember. “Lucky for you I do. You don’t nevuh—an’ I mean nevuh—go in the cave without bein’ prepared.” He patted the items. “All o’ this is life-savin’ equipment, Reb. We’s accountable for them who go in the cave wit’ us. We gotta have what we need to keep ’em safe. Don’t you nevuh come down here again ’less you got rope, watuh, an’ at least a pocketful o’ candles an’ lucifers wit’ you.”
    “Rope, water, and candles. Or a lantern. And matches. Yes, sir.”
    “An’ you don’t nevuh go in all by yo’self. Only wit’ me or one o’ the othuh guides. You hear?”
    She nodded, blinking fast, and he knew she was thinking about her brother.
    He cleared his throat and gave her arm a clumsy pat. “Good.” He dug a match from his shirt pocket and lit the wick on his lantern. He settled the globe in place, held the lantern out in front of him, and fixed her with a serious look. “Now, you stick wit’ me. We’s goin’ in.”
    The girl’s face went pale. Sweat beaded all along her upper lip. Her eyes grew round and fear filled. For a moment Tolly thought she might turn tail and run. But she sucked in a big breath and nodded. “Yes, sir.”
    She followed him like a brave soldier, but he felt her breath on the back of his neck. Short, panting breaths that told him she was as scared as a rabbit facing a fox. But she matched him step for step as they eased down the gaping, uneven tunnel that led to the cave. The sun’s light and warmth faded away. Cool, pungent air surrounded them. A smile grew without effort behind his thick beard.
    Tolly pulled in a slow, deep breath, letting his nostrils flare as he took in the cave’s perfume. If he could, he’d live down here instead of coming and going. Down here it didn’t matter if a man’s skin was black, if he was born to former slaves, if he’d never gone to a real school. The