Free North by Night by Katherine Ayres Page B

these people from danger as fast as You can. We came so close this afternoon.…
    I was dozing by the fire when I heard horses in the distance. At first I assumed it was Will and Tom, coming to help or visit. I shook myself awake. What if it wasn’t my brothers?
    I hurried to the kitchen. “Miss Aurelia. Horses.”
    “I’ll go up to the attic and warn everybody. You check for signs of our visitors.”
    “But you’re supposed to be sick in bed!”
    “I will be,” she said. “Hurry. See to the kitchen.”
    I walked around. The table looked tidy enough, but there were too many plates out for just the two of us. I set some in the cupboard. My heart beat double time and my cheeks flushed. I scanned the room. What else could give us away?
    “Lucy! Lucy!”
    I ran for the door and flung it open. “Tom?”
    “Oh, Lucy. Bad news. Catchers coming, soon. They’re at our house now, snooping everywhere. I was in the barn helping Papa when they came. They didn’t see me. Papa sent me to warn you.”
    “How many?”
    “Five men, four dogs. Lucy, what can we do?”
    I thought for a minute. “Chores,” I said. “Rub the sweat from your horse with straw. Then haul water and bring in firewood. Pretend you’ve been here an hour. I’ll start corn bread. But first help me look around the house. What have I missed?”
    I hurried to the stairs and called up a warning to Miss Aurelia and our hidden visitors.
    Tom came in and studied the house. “What’s that pile? Sewing? Looks like children’s clothes.”
    “Where can I put it?” I heard panic in my voice and took a deep breath. If the catchers or their dogs caught a sound or a scent of fear, they’d find us out for sure. My head pounded.
    “Hide them in the wash basket, Lucy. Under something.”
    “Good idea. Stable your horse and bring wood now, and water.”
    Tom ran outside. I hid the clothing, then tied a big apron on and threw together cornmeal, bacon grease, some milk, and eggs.
    In a blink Tom returned with a full bucket. “Lucy, I’m worried about them dogs.”
    “What?”
    “You got lots of people here. You made lots of trips up to the attic. The dogs will smell something.”
    I thought quickly. At home Mama hung smoked hams and bacon in the root cellar to confuse any dogs who might come. I set out some bacon, to add smells to the kitchen, but what about the door to the attic? Whoever heard of putting ham upstairs?
    “Oh, Tom! The dogs will surely catch a scent in that back bedroom. What stinks enough to confuse them?”
    He chewed his bottom lip. “I don’t know, Lucy. Give me a minute.”
    Fists hammered at the door. “We don’t have a minute, Tom. Get upstairs and think of something, quick.”
    The racket grew louder. Tom raced for the stairs.
    I wiped my sweaty hands on my apron and headed for the door. “Who’s there?”
    “Beggin’ your pardon, miss, but we got business with you.”
    “I … I don’t know your voice. Who is it, please?”
    “That you, Lucinda Spencer? It’s me, Levi Bowen. I been deputized by the magistrate. We got us a Southern boy here, looking for lost property.”
    Levi Bowen, a man from Limaville. A lazy good-for-nothing, according to Papa, but I knew him. I couldn’t keep the door barred any longer. I trembled as I opened it.
    “Mr. Bowen. How may I help you?”
    “We got to search the place,” he said. “This fella had a passel of slaves run off. We’re checking every house in the village. We caught the man, but the women and children got away.”
    “I’ve been so busy tending Widow Mercer, I’ve hardly seen my own shadow,” I said. “But come in if you must.”
    “Thank you. This here’s Clayton Roberts, the owner of the runaways. Him and some boys.”
    I forced a look of casual curiosity onto my face as I nodded to Clayton Roberts. Here, close up, I faced the evil man who had mistreated Cass. Ruth and Mesha’s natural father. He smiled at me. I balled my hands into fists behind my back and felt my