Daisy's Search for Freedom

by Bertha Schwartz

  A squirrel came to the window and scolded them. Smoky pounced at the squirrel, but the squirrel was too quick and disappeared from sight.

  “Tired,” murmured Simon. He curled up on Daisy’s lap and fell asleep.

  Daisy tried to think. Somehow, they had to bypass that wolf cave to reach that house tonight. The man had said to go straight. Maybe if they just went straight from here and followed the river . . .

  Daisy woke with a start. The red squirrel was at the window scolding again. Smoky batted at him from within Simon’s arms. Daisy sat up quickly. The sun was beginning to set. They had to find that little gray house before dark!

  Simon whimpered at the rude awakening.

  “Sorry, Simon,” said Daisy. “But we have to go quickly if we want to find that gray house before dark.”

  “And food?” asked Simon, hopefully.

  “I hope,” answered Daisy, as she started climbing down.

  They started walking as fast as they could, with the kitten trotting beside them. When they reached the river Daisy gave a sigh of relief. I hope the wolves are behind us, she thought. But she continued to pray for their safety.

  “There’s the house,” Simon whispered. “It’s dark. Let’s go in.”

  “He said the back door,” whispered Daisy. “Let’s go around the house.”

  As they got closer, Daisy could see several men through the window. She stopped and motioned Simon to be quiet.

  The windows were open and they could hear voices. One raised in anger, “Turner, you always promise to pay, but you never do!”

  Daisy froze as she recognized Turner’s voice. “I’ll pay you plenty, once I get these slave girls back to their masters. They’re accusing me of stealing them! I plan to make them pay!”

  At that moment, Simon saw Smoky heading for the house and made a grab for her. Smoky loudly yowled in protest.

  “What was that?” Turner asked.

  “I don’t know,” said the voice of the man that told them to come. “But I’m going to find out!”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Food

  DAISY BARELY HAD TIME TO pull Simon behind a huge bush beside the house before the men came streaming from the house. She counted five of them, and they all had a lantern.

  Daisy waited until they were all deep in the woods. The only light remaining seemed to be a kerosene lamp. The house was completely quiet, but there were wonderful smells coming from it.

  “Come, Simon,” said Daisy. “Let’s get some of that food.”

  “You mean to steal it?” whispered Simon, in shock.

  “We were invited,” answered Daisy. “Come quickly, but quietly.”

  The back door had been left standing open. Daisy entered, pulling Simon behind. As her eyes got accustomed to the semi-darkness, she could see a white woman staring at them in shock.

  Daisy grabbed Simon more firmly and turned to run.

  “Food,” whimpered Simon.

  “Aw-w, you poor children,” said the woman. “Come, I will give you food.”

  Simon darted over to her. She handed him a huge sandwich and held one out to Daisy. Daisy was too hungry to refuse.

  “Come,” she said, again. “Hide in my pantry. The men will be back soon. If you leave now, they will surely find you. Some of them are really mean. When it is safe to leave, I will tell you.” She half-pushed them inside the dark room, just as the men’s voices were heard again.

  Daisy quickly ate her sandwich and prayed that this was not another trick.

  The men came in laughing. “Well, we found the culprit,” one of them told the woman. “It was a little gray kitten, sitting on a fence post, pretty as you please.”

  “And Turner was sure it was runaway slaves,” said another. They all laughed again.

  “Turner couldn’t even catch a little kitten, so I’m guessing runaway slaves are safe from him, too,” taunted another voice.

  “Shut up! Just shut up!” growled Turner.

  The voices grew a bit fainter, but they were still laughing.

  Suddenly, the pantry door swung open. The woman motioned them to come. She stopped them long enough to hand Daisy a large bundle and Simon a small one. Both could be carried by the string that was tied around them. Last she handed Daisy a small jug with a string through the handle. Then she ushered the children outside, closing the door behind them.

  Daisy put both the bundle and the jug in the same hand, so she could grasp one of Simon’s hands. He still had about half of his sandwich left. Daisy took the small bundle from him and added it to her other hand. Pulling Simon along, Daisy headed toward the river as fast as she could.

  Bits of Simon’s sandwich fell as they ran. Smoky was following them, but stopped to eat the crumbs as Simon dropped them. When they finally reached the river, Daisy stopped long enough to let Simon finish his sandwich. She opened the jug and smelled it. “Milk!”

  Simon reached for it. Daisy held his sandwich until he had all he wanted to drink. Then she handed his sandwich back to him. “Eat it quickly,” she said. She started walking again, but slower, so he could walk while he ate.

  Daisy hoped she could remember the spot where they had reached the river. Hopefully, they would be able to find the house in the tree again. It was too late to try to find the other house to see if the lantern was lit, and it was safe to go there.

  “Sammy,” said Simon. He held up the rest of his sandwich. “You eat it. Want milk.”

  Daisy finished the sandwich. Even though it was mostly crust, it still tasted delicious. Then she helped Simon drink some more milk.

  “Good!” Simon said, handing the jug back. “Give me bundle again.”

  Daisy gladly handed him the smaller bundle. The jug was lighter now, too. She could smell food in her bundle and worried that it would attract the wolf.

  “Simon, do you remember where the spot was when we came to the river from that house in the tree?” Daisy asked. “That is where we need to go into the woods again.”

  “Yes, it was at the big, feather tree,” answered Simon.

  “Big, feather tree?” Daisy was puzzled.

  “Yes,” Simon explained. “Its leaves looked like long feathers hanging down.” He demonstrated with his free hand.

  “Oh, the weeping willow tree,” Daisy said.

  “It weren’t crying,” Simon clarified.

  Daisy chuckled. “That’s just the name of the tree.”

  “Trees have names?”

  Daisy smiled, but she wasn’t sure how to answer.

  “Crying tree is a silly name,” Simon said. Then he pointed ahead. “Right there it is—the crying tree.”

  “It’s called weeping willow,” corrected Daisy. “But now we need to find the tree with the house.”

  “Does that one have a name?” asked Simon.

  “I’m sure it does,” replied Daisy. “But I don’t know what it is. It reminds me of a live oak.”

  “Do you think it’s a dead oak?” Simon asked.

  Daisy chuckled. “I doubt it, because it’s still alive.”

  “Can you carry this?” Simon handed her the small package.

  Daisy took the package and focused on a certain tree quite a ways ahead and walked toward it. She had learned the hard way that if she just walked, they would end up going around in circles. But still, Daisy was afraid they would miss the tree with the little house in the darkness. It was getting colder, too.

  Suddenly, Smoky ran ahead of them, her little gray tail straight up and waving like a flag. She didn’t go far until she started climbing the side of a tree. Even in the dim light, the tree looked familiar.

  “Look, Sammy,” Simon said. “Smoky found our tree.”

  Daisy sagged with relief. “Yes, she did. Smoky is a good little kitten.”

  Simon climbed the ladder, while Daisy tied the strings from the bundles and the jug securely around her wrists, so she could climb. Then she followed Simon up the tree. Once inside the little house, Daisy finally felt as if
she could relax.

  “Let’s see what’s inside these bundles,” Daisy suggested. She handed the smaller one to Simon.

  It didn’t take him long to open it. “Cookies!” he said, happily. “May I have one?”

  “Of course,” said Daisy. “This one has sandwiches—lots of sandwiches.” She laughed. “Probably more than we can eat until they spoil. Do you want another one, Simon?”

  Simon shook his head. He was busy eating his cookie. Daisy carefully retied her bundle and reached for a cookie. They were quietly munching cookies when Daisy heard footsteps. She quickly motioned Simon to be quiet. They sat there, not moving as the footsteps neared. Daisy kept one hand on Simon and one on Smoky. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

  The footsteps stopped underneath the tree they were in!

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  More Runaways

  A BABY CRIED. THE SOUND was muffled almost instantly. Daisy remembered what the man had said about a runaway and her baby. Was this the one? Dare they help them?

  Daisy quickly prayed for wisdom. Then she remembered Mr. Turner and the other men. She quietly went to the opening and looked down. She could see nothing but leaves. Should she take a chance?

  “Help me, Jesus,” Daisy whispered, then called, “You can come up here if you want.”

  Everything was silent.

  Daisy tried again. “There is a ladder on this tree and a little house on top. You can come on up if you want.” She hesitated, and then added, “We’re runaways, too.”

  Daisy heard someone begin climbing. She held her breath and watched from the opening. If it was an enemy, they had nowhere to go. Suddenly, lightning streaked through the sky. Daisy could clearly see the person climbing was a man. She screamed, and then she quickly held her hand over her mouth.

  The man looked up. His face looked very dark. “Is okay,” he said, softly. “We are runaways, too.” He looked down and called, “Come on up. It’s safe.”

  Daisy backed up. Simon clung to her and Smoky.

  Soon the man was ducking through the opening. He held a baby out to Daisy.

  “Please,” he whispered.

  Daisy took the baby, and the man disappeared. The baby smiled and cooed and reached for Daisy’s face. As lightning lit the sky again, Daisy could make out the baby’s features. It was a little girl with blue eyes and light brown hair. A white baby?

  As thunder rumbled much closer, the man stepped through the opening once more. He reached back to help a girl who didn’t look much older than Daisy. She was quickly followed by a younger girl.

  They were barely inside when the rain came. “Sit down,” Daisy invited. The baby in her arms was reaching for the older girl.

  She took the baby and held her close, murmuring, “My sweet, little baby.”

  All three sat down. The little house was crowded. They all sat silently for a while, looking at each other. Daisy broke the silence. “Is that your baby?”

  The man didn’t respond. The girl nodded and held the baby closer. She slid a little closer to the man. The second girl Daisy guessed to be about her own age spoke up, motioning to the other two. “They jumped the broom.”

  Daisy knew that meant they were married in a ceremony with only their own people present and probably not with their master’s knowledge. She nodded her understanding. “Are you hungry?”

  All three looked at her but did not answer, probably wondering what difference it made. Daisy opened the bundle of sandwiches. As lightning lit up the little house, Daisy could see their hungry expressions. She quickly passed them all a sandwich.

  “We have milk, too,” Simon volunteered. Daisy handed them the jug. The man took it, but handed it to his wife without drinking any. He held her sandwich so she could drink.

  With the rain and thunder Daisy felt that it was safe to talk. As they ate, Daisy started telling them about their day. When she mentioned Mr. Turner, the girl with the baby started shaking.

  “Turner wants to kill my baby,” whispered the other girl, fearfully.

  “It’s okay,” murmured the man. “We’re safe here.” The girl tried to relax, but she kept looking around with fear in her dark eyes.

  “So we didn’t check that house tonight,” Daisy finished. “We don’t know whether it would have been safe to go there tonight or not.”

  “We checked,” answered the youngest girl. “The lantern wasn’t lit tonight either. By the way, my name is Sarah, and that’s my sister Dorie and her husband James. The baby’s name is Lori.” She smiled fondly at the little girl.

  “I’m Simon, and that’s Sammy,” said Simon. He lifted the kitten. “An’ this is Smoky. You want cookies?” He held up the other bundle.

  After everyone had eaten all they wanted, Daisy carefully wrapped the leftovers. Hopefully they would have enough for everyone tomorrow. There was no way they would dare to go back to that house for food. Daisy wondered if the woman knew there were some more slaves hiding nearby and hoped they would meet up and be able to share the food. Daisy was so glad she had food to share.

  As the storm continued, they all talked freely. “Dorie and I both knew our life was in danger,” Sarah said, “but especially Baby Lori’s because of who her daddy is. James was from a neighboring plantation, and he’s loved Dorie forever.”

  Dorie smiled shyly at James. He looked fiercely protective. Sarah continued. “One night he sneaked over, and they jumped the broom. He wanted to go ahead and runaway that night, but the other men made him go back to his plantation.”

  “There was no way I could protect them from there,” James put in.

  “We were so scared he would get caught, or they would find out we got married,” continued Dorie. “I was so happy and so very scared.”

  Sarah went on with the story. “The next night, the cook from Six Oaks Plantation was waking us in the middle of the night.”

  “Mama!” exclaimed Daisy.

  “What?” asked Sarah.

  “The cook from Six Oaks is my mama. But go on with your story.”

  “She gave us food and said we had to leave right away. Dorie didn’t want to leave without James. The cook told us he’d left already. And sure enough, when we climbed in the back of Doc’s wagon, there he was.”

  “Somehow, word of our wedding had reached our masters,” Dorie said. She shuddered. “I don’t know what they planned to do.” She shifted the sleeping baby in her arms.

  James carefully took the baby from her. From the look of adoration in his eyes, Daisy knew he loved the baby as if she was his own.

  After discussing the hardships of the trail, especially with a baby, the talk slowed down, just as the storm moved on. Simon and the kitten were asleep already. Daisy pillowed her head in her arms and prepared to sleep.

  Daisy woke suddenly to hear dogs howling in the distance. James was standing at the entrance. “We have to run,” he said. There was terror in his eyes.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Dogs on the Trail

  “NO!” COMMANDED DAISY. “IF YOU run, we will all be caught. We are safe up here.”

  “No!” James shook his head. “The dogs will pick up our scent, and we’ll be cornered up here. I’d rather take my chance on the run.”

  “No!” Daisy repeated. “The rain washed away our scent. If they don’t see the ladder and climb up here, we are safe here. We can’t outrun the dogs, especially not with a baby and a child. We must stay here and pray.”

  “Oh, Lord, Lord,” Dorie wailed.

  “Quietly,” whispered Daisy. “Jesus can hear our prayer if we just think it. We must be quiet, or the dogs will hear us.” She hugged Simon close and petted Smoky, hoping to keep him quiet.

  The baby started to whimper. Dorie quickly slapped her hand across the baby’s mouth, terror in her eyes. The baby tried to protest and began to cry.

  Daisy hurriedly opened the bundle of food and tore a crust off a sandwich. She handed it to the baby. Baby Lori smiled around the crust, as she happily chewed on the bread,
quiet once more.

  The dogs were getting closer, but Daisy could hear they were not on a trail because the sound was scattered throughout the woods. As she listened, she continued to pray, mostly saying Jesus’ name over and over.

  Suddenly, one dog ran right under the tree they were in, barking loudly, but he never slowed down. Then they heard several people running.

  “I think they are on the trail,” said a familiar voice, panting as he ran.

  “No, Turner.” This voice did not sound winded at all. “I told you dogs can’t pick up a scent in wet woods.” Their voices faded as they ran. “But you’re still going to pay me.”

  Daisy looked at the others. The terror in the girls’ eyes was probably reflected in her own. James still stood at the entrance, in a protective stance. It made Daisy feel safer. To get to them, they would have to get past James.

  After a while, James turned back to look at them.

  “They might come back,” whispered Daisy.

  James nodded and resumed his post.

  Daisy tried not to fidget. To sit still for such a long time was beginning to cause cramps in her legs. The cramps were forgotten and Daisy froze, as she heard the dogs barking again. They were coming back! She wondered which direction the others had come from last night. Could they have picked up their scent in spite of the rain?

  The dogs were running together now. It was obvious they were on a hot trail. In the few seconds the dogs were quiet and running, they suddenly heard footsteps padding beneath the tree.

  James was standing on tiptoe and stretching far out of the little shack. He very slowly stepped back. His white teeth flashed in a huge grin, when he turned to look at the others. “Wolf,” he mouthed. His eyes twinkled.

  Daisy couldn’t keep from smiling. The dogs were on the trail of the wolf. The wolf was probably leading them as far from her den as she could, which would mean far away from here. But if she passed beneath this tree, it meant the dogs and probably the men would pass beneath this tree also. She motioned for them to remain silent.

  Simon was sleeping on her lap again. Poor boy! He was so worn out.

  He stirred as the dogs neared again. Daisy pulled him up until he opened his eyes. She motioned him to be quiet. He nodded and lay back down again. He jerked upright as the dogs came closer. Smoky’s back arched, and she hissed. Daisy fed her bits of crusts to keep her quiet. She gave some to the baby again, too, and was rewarded with a big smile.