I DECIDE MY DUTY
The silence following this blunt statement was sickening. Up to that
moment, in spite of every fact brought to my knowledge, I had secretly
believed this condition of affairs impossible. Surely somewhere,
through some legal form, Judge Beaucaire had guarded the future safety
of this young woman, whom he had admitted into his household. Any
other conception seemed impossible, too monstrous, too preposterous for
consideration. But now the solemn words of the lawyer, his own legal
counselor, brought conviction, and for the moment all power of speech
deserted me. It was actually true then--the girl was a slave, a thing
belonging to Kirby. Nothing broke the stillness within the cabin,
except the sharp crackling of flames in the open fireplace, and the
heavy breathing of the negro. He was seated on the edge of the bed,
his black face showing a greenish tint, and revealing puzzled
amazement, with wide-opened eyes staring blankly at Haines, who stood
motionless before the fire.
"Whut wus dat yer sed, Mister Haines?" he asked thickly. "You say as
how Missus Rene Beaucaire is a slave, sah? Pears like I don't just
rightfully understan'."
"Still that is true, Pete," and the lawyer lifted his head and surveyed
us both. "She is the illegitimate daughter of Delia, Judge Beaucaire's
housekeeper; her father was Adelbert Beaucaire, the Judge's only son.
No one knows where he is, dead or alive."
"De good Lord! An' de ol' Jedge never set her free?"
The lawyer shook his head, words evidently failing him.
"But are you absolutely certain of this?" I broke in impatiently.
"Have you searched the records?"
"Not only searched them, Knox, but, before he left for the north on
this last trip, Beaucaire was in my office, and I practically forced
him to acknowledge the negligence. He even authorized me to draw up
the necessary papers for him to sign on his return--for both Delia and
the girl. They are in my desk now, unexecuted. There is no
mistake--Rene is legally a slave, together with her mother."
"My God!" I exclaimed. "What an indictment of slavery. Could anyone
conceive a more horrible position! Here is a young girl, educated,
refined, of more than ordinary attractiveness Thockmorton tells me,
brought up amid every comfort, and led to believe herself the honored
daughter of the house, awakening in an instant to the fact that she is
a slave, with negro blood in her veins--a mere chattel, owned body and
soul by a gambler, won in a card game, and to be sold to the highest
bidder. Haines, I tell you Kirby knew all this."
"Kirby knew? Why do you say that?"
"He boasted of it. I thought little about what he said at the time,
but I believe now one of his main objects was to gain possession of
this girl. That would account for his insistence upon that peculiar
clause in the bill of sale--he either suspected, or had discovered
through some source, that Rene Beaucaire had never been set free. For
some reason he desired possession of both Beaucaire girls; they meant
more to him than either the money or the property. This card game gave
him one; the other--"
"Eloise, you mean? Did the fellow threaten her?"
"Here is what he said sneeringly, you can judge yourself what he meant,
'She's worth fifty thousand dollars by her mother's will, and I intend
to win her if I can, fair means or foul.'"
Haines did not speak for some moments, his eyes on my face. Then he
paced back and forth across the floor, finally stopping before the fire.
"This is as near hell as anything I ever knew," he said, "and so far as
I can see there is no legal way out of it. We are utterly helpless to
assist."
"We are not," I answered hotly, "if we are men. There may be no legal
way in which we can beat this villain, but there is an illegal one,
unless we are already too late, and I propose to use it, whether you
join me or not."
"You have a plan? What is it?"
"The only one feasible. I thought of its possibility before on the
boat, when a suspicion of this situation first came to me. You are
sure the girls are still at the plantation house? that they know
nothing of this condition?"
"I have reason to believe so. Delia was buying provisions at the
Landing yesterday; I talked with her a moment."
"And you said that Kirby and Carver were only in town for one night,
leaving the next morning on a keel-boat for St. Louis. Probably they
did not visit the plantation at all, unless it was to scout around. My
idea is they were not quite ready to take possession; that they have
gone to St. Louis to file the papers, and will come back with officers
prepared to execute them. This means that we must work fast to get out
of their way."
"What do you propose doing?"
"Let me ask a question first. Is it true that Eloise Beaucaire is
heiress to fifty thousand dollars through her mother's estate?"
"Yes, I invested most of it."
"In what?"
"New Orleans property principally."
"Then it is safe enough whatever happens. The only thing we can do is
this: Tell those girls and the mother the whole truth--tell them at
once, before Kirby can return, and then help them to get out of this
country. It is not necessary for Eloise to go, unless she desires to,
but there is no other safe course for Delia and Rene. They must reach
a northern state before Kirby can lay hands on them. Could Delia pass
for a white woman?"
"Not in the South; still she could travel as Rene's maid. But I do not
believe it is possible for the two to escape in that way, Knox.
Understand I'd be willing to risk it if there were any show. How can
it be done? On the average at this time of year there isn't a
steamboat along here once a month. If we did get them onto a boat they
would have to travel straight south as far as the Ohio. Kirby wouldn't
be more than a day or two behind them, with friends on every boat on
the river. Illinois is no free state for fugitive slaves--they might
just as well be caught in Missouri as over there. There is not one
chance in a thousand that they make it."
"And less than that, if they remain here for Kirby to get his hands
on," I retorted bitterly. "Now look here, Haines. I am going to carry
out this plan alone, if you will not back me in it. I am not talking
about steamboats; they could travel by night, and hide along shore
during the day. All they would need would be two negro oarsmen,
sufficient food, and a boat big enough to carry them safely. You have
small boats, surely?"
"I got one, Massa Knox," burst out Pete eagerly. "She's down by de
mouth ob de creek, sah, an' she sure am a mighty good boat. We could
load her up right here, an' I'd be one ob de niggers fer ter take dem
ladies down ribber. I'se a free boy, an' nobody care whar I done go."
These unexpected words heartened me, strengthened my own resolve, and I
obeyed the first impulse, instantly crossing the room and frankly
extending my hand to the surprised negro.
"That sounds like a man, Pete," I exclaimed warmly. "Yes, of course I
mean it--shake hands. You are white enough for me, boy, and I do not
propose letting you do any more than I am willing to do. I'll go along
with you on this trip. I have sixty days furlough."
I turned and faced the lawyer, my mind firmly settled on the scheme,
and determined upon carrying it out instantly.
"And now, what about you, Haines?" I demanded. "Are you ready to help?
Come, man, surely this is not something we have any time to debate.
Kirby is liable to show up at any moment with full authority, and the
sheriff to back him. It is still early in the evening and we must work
tonight, if at all."
"You haven't the strength for such a venture," he protested.
"Haven't I?" and I laughed. "Oh, yes I have. I am young and this
wound is nothing. I may be a bit stiff in the shoulder for a few days,
but I can pull an oar with one hand. That never will stop me. Are you
with us?"
He was slow in replying, and, as I eagerly watched his face, I could
almost comprehend the working of the lawyer mind. He saw and argued
every doubt, considered every danger.
"In spirit, yes," he answered at last, "but not physically. I believe
under the circumstances you are justified, Knox. Perhaps I'd do the
same thing if I was in your place and had your youth behind me. But I
am a lawyer, fifty years old, and this is my home. If the story ever
got out that I took part in nigger stealing, that would be the end of
me in Missouri. As you say, you are a young man, and I reckon you were
not brought up in the South either. That makes a difference. You can
take the risk, but about all I can do will be to keep a quiet tongue in
my head. Nobody will ever learn what has happened through me--I'll
promise you that. But that is all I can promise."
"Yet you acknowledge this is the only way? No legal course is open to
us?"
"Absolutely none. If there was I should never consent to be a party to
this plan, or shield you in any way. Kirby has undoubtedly got the law
with him. We cannot establish fraud; the property actually belongs to
him--both mother and daughter are his slaves."
"And how about the other girl--Eloise?"
"He has no legal hold on her; she is a free white woman. He could only
hope to overcome her resistance by threats. The plantation is
irrevocably lost to the Beaucaires, but she possesses the power to defy
him because of her mother's property. If Kirby marries her, it will
only be through her consent."
He picked up his hat from the table, and a stout stick he had brought
along with him, taking a step toward the door.
"I might as well tell you I consider this a mad scheme," he paused to
add gravely, "and that it will probably fail. There is a possible
chance of success, I admit, and for that reason I permit you to go
ahead with it, and pledge myself to keep the secret. I was rather
intimately associated with Beaucaire for a number of years, and to see
his granddaughter sold into slavery, even if she does have a drop of
nigger blood in her veins, is more than I can stand, without giving her
a chance to get away. That is why I consent to abet a crime, and keep
still about it. But beyond that I'll not go. I am a southerner, Knox;
my father owned slaves. I believe in the system, and have always
upheld it. Nobody in Missouri hates a Black Abolitionist worse than I
do; if anyone had ever said I would help a nigger run away, I'd call
him a liar in a minute. Do you understand the position this damned
affair puts me into?"
"Yes, I do, Haines," and I held out my hand to him, with fresh
cordiality. "It is uncommonly white of you to even go that far. On
the other hand I was brought up to despise slavery. I'll pledge you
this--for Pete here, as well as myself--that if we are caught, your
name shall never be mentioned. Have you any advice to give?"
He paused uncertainly, his hand on the latch, the firelight flashing up
into his face.
"Only this," he said slowly. "If I were you I'd never attempt to go
south. Below St. Louis boats are numerous, and you would be almost
certain to be discovered. If Kirby chases you--and I know him well
enough to be sure he will--he will naturally take it for granted that
you have headed for the Ohio. The very fact that the fugitives are
women would convince him of this. To my mind the one chance of your
getting away, lies to the north--up the Illinois."
"That thought was in my mind also," I admitted, thoroughly satisfied
now that he was really friendly, and to be trusted. "I have been told
that the settlers north of that stream came mostly from New England--is
that true?"
"To a large extent. We have reason to believe there is an underground
road in operation from the river to Canada, and many a runaway nigger
makes the trip every year. That ought to be your best course, but
there is no time now to put the women in the care of those men. Of
course I don't know who they are--perhaps Pete does?"
"No, sah," protested the black quickly. "'Pears like I never heerd
tell 'bout dem. I'se a free nigger, sah."
The lawyer's shrewd eyes twinkled.
"And that is exactly why, you black rascal, I believe you really do
know. I reckon, Knox, he'll tell you what he wouldn't tell me.
Anyhow, good luck to you both, and good night."
The door closed behind him, and the negro and I were alone. All at
once I realized the desperate nature of this adventure I had
undertaken, and its possible consequences. Haines' words had driven it
home to my mind, causing me to comprehend the viewpoint of this
neighborhood, the hatred men felt for a nigger-stealer, and what my
fate would be if once caught in the act. Yet the die was already cast;
I had pledged myself to action; was fully committed to the attempted
rescue of Rene Beaucaire, and no thought of any retreat once occurred
to me. I opened the door cautiously, glancing out into the night, to
thus assure myself we were alone, closed it again, and came back. The
negro still remained seated on the edge of the bed, digging his toes
into the hard earth of the floor.
"Pete," I began earnestly. "You trust me, don't you? You do not
suspect me of being any slave-hunter?"
"No, sah, Massa Knox, I ain't 'feared o' yer--yers one o' dem
down-easterners."
"Well, not exactly that. I came from a slave state, but my family is
of New England blood and breeding. I am just as much your friend as
though you were white. Now you and I have got a hard job before us."
"Yas, sah, we sure has."
"And the first thing we have got to do, is to trust each other. Now I
am going to ask you a question--is that the best way for us to go, up
the Illinois?"
He was slow to answer, evidently turning the whole matter over in his
mind. I waited impatiently, feeling the delay to be a serious loss of
time.
"Well then, let me put this differently. Have you ever assisted any
slaves to run away from Missouri?"
"Well, Massa Knox, I reckon thet maybe I knew'd 'bout som' gittin'
a-way--'pears like I did, sah."
"And these escaped by way of the Illinois?"
His dumb, almost pathetic eyes met mine pleadingly, but some expression
of my face served to yield him courage.
"I--I reckon I--I don't know much 'bout all dis, Massa Knox," he
stammered doubtfully, his hands locking and unlocking nervously. "I--I
sure don'; an' fer de mattah o' dat, ther ain't nobody whut does, sah.
All I does know, fer sure, is dat if a nigger onct gets as fer as a
certain white man up de ribber, 'bout whar de mouth ob de Illinois is,
he's got a mighty good chance fer ter reach Canada. De next place whar
he's most likely ter stop is Beardstown, long wid som' sorter preacher
whut lives thar. An' thet's as fer as dey ever done tol' me, sah."
"About this first white man--the one near the mouth of the Illinois--do
you know his name?"
Pete rose to his feet, and crossed the room to where I stood, bending
down until his lips were close to my ear. His answer was spoken in a
thick whisper.
"Massa Knox, I never did 'spect to say dis ter no white man, but it
seems I just nat'larly got fer ter tell yer. I done heerd thet man say
onct just whut yer did, thet a nigger wus just as much his frien' as
though he wus white--thet it wan't de skin nohow what counted, but de
heart. No, sah, I ain't feered fer ter tell yer, Massa Knox. He's got
a cabin hid way back in de bluffs, whar nobody don't go, 'cept dem who
know whar it is. I reckon he don't do nuthin' but hunt an' fish
nohow--leastways he don't raise no corn, nor truck fer ter sell. He's
a tall, lanky man, sah, sorter thin, with a long beard, an' his name
wus Amos Shrunk. I reckon maybe he's a Black Abolitionist, sah."
"Quite likely, I should say. And you could take a boat from here to
his place?"
"Sure, the darkest night yer ever see. Inter the mouth ob a crick,
'bout a hundred rods up de Illinois. Den thar's a path, a sorter path,
whut goes ter de cabin; but most genir'ly he's down thar waitin' et
night. Yer see dey never sure knows when som' nigger is goin' fer ter
git away--only mostly it's at night."
This knowledge greatly simplified matters. If there was already in
operation an organized scheme by means of which fugitives from this
side of the great river were taken through to Canada, protected and
assisted along the way by the friends of freedom, then all we would be
required to do in this case would be to safely convey the unfortunate
Rene and her mother in Pete's boat up the river, and there turn them
over to the care of this Amos Shrunk. Undoubtedly he could be trusted
to see to it that they were promptly forwarded to others, fanatics like
himself, who would swiftly pass them along at night across the Illinois
prairies, until beyond all danger of pursuit. Hundreds, no doubt, had
traveled this route, and, once these two were in Shrunk's care our
responsibility would be over with. It was to me a vast relief to
realize this. The distance to the mouth of the Illinois could not be
far, surely not to exceed fifty miles as the river ran. It ought not
to prove difficult to baffle Kirby for that short distance, and then we
would be free to return, and no one could prove any charge against us.
Indeed it was my purpose to immediately proceed down the river on my
furlough, and probably it would never so much as be suspected that the
negro had been away. Ever since my boyhood I had listened to stories
concerning the operation of Underground Railroads by means of which
slaves were assisted to freedom, and now felt no hesitancy in confiding
these two women to the care of their operators. The only important
fact fronting us was that we must act quickly, before Kirby and his
aides, armed with legal authority, could return--this very night.
"Pete," I said shortly, my tone unconsciously one of authority, "we
must be out of here before daylight, and safely hidden somewhere up the
river. The first thing to be done, and the hardest, is to explain to
those women the situation, and persuade them to accompany us. They may
not believe my story; that was why I was so anxious to have Haines go
to the house. They would have confidence in him. Do they know you?"
"Lord love yer--ob course dey do. I'se knowed all ob 'em for a long
while, sah. Why when I furst don' see dem Beaucaire gals dey wus just
infants. Dey'll sure believe ol' Pete."
"Well, we can only try our best. Have you any conveyance here?"
"Any whut, sah?"
"Any wheeled vehicle in which we can ride to Beaucaire, and by means of
which we can bring the women back? The distance is too far to walk."
"I'se got a sorter khart, an' an ol' muel, sah. Dey's out yonder in de
bush."
"Hitch them up at once, while I put a few things we may need in the
boat. Show me how to find it."
He pointed out the path, with the directions necessary, and
disappeared, while I returned to the cabin, dragged a blanket from off
the bed, and filled it with whatever miscellaneous articles of food I
was able to discover about the place. My wound, now that I was busily
engaged, troubled me very little, and, gathering the four corners of
the blanket together, I easily transported this stock of provisions to
the river bank, and safely stowed them away in the boat found there. I
returned to discover the mule and cart ready, and a few moments later
we were creaking slowly along a gloomy wood road, jolting over the
stumps, with Pete walking beside the animal's head, whispering
encouragement into the flapping ear. The great adventure had begun.