The Snowflake herald., 1921-12-16
"rhese are fugitive slaves on their

Harry conducted them to their
hiding place, and when they had en-
tered it, he brought ladder and
opened the top of the stack. A hooped
shaft in the middle of it led to a
point near its top and provided ven
tilation. Then he crawled in at the
entrance, through which Samson
passed pail of food, jug of water
and some buffalo hides. Harry sat
with them for a few moments in the
black darkness of the stack room to
learn whence they had come and
whittier they wished to go.
1--WE are from st. Louis. suh," the
mulatto answered. "We are on our
way to Canada. Our next station is
the house Of John Peasley, in Taze-
we'll county"
of Eliphalet Biggs, who lives in st.
LOUISE Harry asked.
"Yes, sub; 1 see him often, sub"
the negro answered.
"What kind of man is he?"
"Good whenf he is sober, sub, but
as he cruel to his wife,"
"He beats her with a whip. suh."
"My CT" Harry exclaimed "Why
don't she leave him?'
"She has left him, sub. She is stay
ing with a friend. 1t has been hard
for her to get away. She has been a
slave, too"
Harry's voice trembled with emo
ton when he answered:
81 am sure that none of her friends
knew how she was being treated"
Il suppose that she was hoping an
praying, sub, that he would change"
81 think that one Of us will take
you to Peasleys tomorrow night" said
Harry. Meanwhile / hope you get
a good rest"
With that he left them, filled the
mouth of the cave with hay and went
into the house. There he told his
good friends of what he had heard.
''I shall go down to ST Louis" he
said. 81 read in the paper that there
was a boat Monday"
1.-THE first thing to do is TO go to
bed" said Sarah. There's not much
left of the night"
They went to bed, but the young
man could not sleep. BIN had posses
sion of his heart again.
Fortunately, the springs work was
finished and there was not much to be
done next day. Samson went TO "Col-
III nd
with him and his wife to come and
stay with Sarah and made other prep
arations for the journey to the north.
Soon, after nightfall they put their
guests on a small load of hay, so
that they could quickly cover them
selves, If necessary, and set out for
Peasley's farm. AS they rode along
Samson had frank talk with Harry.
'I think you ought to get over be-
ing in love with Bim," he said.
"Pve told myself that a dozen
times, but it don't do any good" said
the boy.
"Shes another mans wife and you
have no right to love her.
"She's another mans slave. and l
can't stand the thought of it, Harry
answered. "If mans sister were in
such trouble, think he'd have the
right to help her; and she's more than
a sister to me-"
"I'll stand with you on the sister
PLATFORM" said Samson.
At sunrise they stopped to give
their horses a moment to rest. In the
distance they could see Brimstead's
house and the narrowed fields around
it. The women were lying covered by
the hay; the man was sitting up and
looking back down the road.
They're coming" he exclaimed.
suddenly, as he got under the hay.
Samson and Harry could see horse
men following at gallop half a mile
or so down the road. Our friends
hurried their team and got to Brim-
stead's door ahead of the horsemen.
Henry Brimstead stood in the open
door,
"Take these slaves into the house
and get them out of sight as quick
as you can," said Samson. There's
going to be quarrel here in min
ute."
The slaves slid off the load and ran
into the house.
The team started on toward Peas
ley's farm as if nothing had happened,
with Harry and Samson standing on
the load. In a moment they saw, to
their astonishment, Biggs and col
ored servant coming at slow trot.
Were the slaves they carried the prop
erty of Biggs?
"Stop that wagon" the latter
shouted.
Samson kept on, turning out a lit
tie to let them pass.
"Stop or We'll shoot your horses"
Biggs demanded.
They'll have to pass close to the
load" Harry whispered "I'll jump
on behind Biggs. as he goes BY"
The words were scarcely out of his
mouth when Harry sprang Off the