or carpetbag. And when he stood near the gangplank he had no baggage
. Yet Libby felt sure the man was leaving the
Christina
for good.
Like a needle poking into her skin, a question jabbed Libby’s mind.
Where did he get the dry clothes?
Her thoughts leaped ahead.
His hair is so short, it would have dried fast
.
Short hair. Hair that has grown. If someone had one side of his head shaved—if it started to grow out, and he cut the other half to match—
The escaped prisoner! The man I saw in Prescott. Sam McGrady!
So! He stole more clothes
. Libby wondered which passenger would be angry now. Then she realized something much worse.
If that man is Sam McGrady, he’s hurrying up the hill after Caleb and Jordan!
Without another thought, Libby raced down the gangplank after the boys. By the time she reached the center of town, she was out of breath, and her side ached.
The escaped prisoner was nowhere in sight. Neither were Caleb and Jordan.
Just then Libby heard the
Christina’s
final warning bell. She had been so concerned about warning Caleb and Jordan that she hadn’t even heard the earlier signals. Now she had no choice but to hurry back to the boat.
“Forty miles to Keokuk,” Pa told Libby. “Three and a half hours or so.”
Standing on the main deck with people all around them, Pa said no more. But Libby knew what he was talking about.
“If all goes well, you’ll meet about the same time,” he said quietly.
In the hour before they left the
Christina
, Caleb and Jordan had met in the captain’s cabin. Pa had agreed that their plan was a good one—as safe as something like this could be.
Now excitement filled Libby.
I really get to help with Jordan’s family!
She still found it hard to believe that she was going along.
Then she looked up at her father. When she saw the love in his eyes, she remembered how Gran felt about Caleb and the Underground Railroad.
“I’ll be careful, Pa,” Libby promised.
Her father smiled. “Please do. You’re the only one I have left.”
Then a passenger wanted to talk to Pa, so Libby searched out Gran in the pastry kitchen. She found Samson there too, sitting on his haunches just outside the door.
“Will you feed him while I’m gone?” Libby asked, and Gran nodded.
Her smile was as warm as her kind blue eyes. “God go with you, Libby.”
But when Gran hugged her, Libby knew. Caleb’s grandmother already looked forward to that moment when all of them returned.
Standing high on the hurricane deck, Libby looked down over the railing to the river far below. Deep and dark it seemed now, just like the time ahead. Libby wished she could see through to the end—to know that Jordan and his family would reach the
Christina
safely. But the future was filled with dangers Libby could not know. She only knew that she had to listen to Caleb and Jordan and pay attention when Jordan felt uneasy.
More than once since Libby met him, Jordan had felt that uneasiness. Libby knew it was not just a worried feeling, but a lack of God’s peace. Both Caleb and Libby had learned to respect the way God gave direction to Jordan.
Libby still felt surprised that Jordan believed God wanted her along.
Why?
she wondered. The day in which Libby thought she could do whatever she set out to do seemed far in the past. Now she had no doubt about all the things she could do wrong.
The whole thing seemed strange to Libby.
Maybe God likes it when people ask for His help
. As she thought about it, she began praying. “Lord, what do You want me to do? Will You show me?”
Then, as if it had happened only a minute before, Libby remembered the day she sat on deck, drawing passengers. When Caleb saw one of her sketches, he said,
“It’s good—really good!”
He had even told Libby, “
Maybe your drawing ability will help us free Jordan’s family. I don’t know how, but let’s think about it
.”
Since then, Libby hadn’t had much time to think about anything, let alone her drawing.
. Yet Libby felt sure the man was leaving the
Christina
for good.
Like a needle poking into her skin, a question jabbed Libby’s mind.
Where did he get the dry clothes?
Her thoughts leaped ahead.
His hair is so short, it would have dried fast
.
Short hair. Hair that has grown. If someone had one side of his head shaved—if it started to grow out, and he cut the other half to match—
The escaped prisoner! The man I saw in Prescott. Sam McGrady!
So! He stole more clothes
. Libby wondered which passenger would be angry now. Then she realized something much worse.
If that man is Sam McGrady, he’s hurrying up the hill after Caleb and Jordan!
Without another thought, Libby raced down the gangplank after the boys. By the time she reached the center of town, she was out of breath, and her side ached.
The escaped prisoner was nowhere in sight. Neither were Caleb and Jordan.
Just then Libby heard the
Christina’s
final warning bell. She had been so concerned about warning Caleb and Jordan that she hadn’t even heard the earlier signals. Now she had no choice but to hurry back to the boat.
“Forty miles to Keokuk,” Pa told Libby. “Three and a half hours or so.”
Standing on the main deck with people all around them, Pa said no more. But Libby knew what he was talking about.
“If all goes well, you’ll meet about the same time,” he said quietly.
In the hour before they left the
Christina
, Caleb and Jordan had met in the captain’s cabin. Pa had agreed that their plan was a good one—as safe as something like this could be.
Now excitement filled Libby.
I really get to help with Jordan’s family!
She still found it hard to believe that she was going along.
Then she looked up at her father. When she saw the love in his eyes, she remembered how Gran felt about Caleb and the Underground Railroad.
“I’ll be careful, Pa,” Libby promised.
Her father smiled. “Please do. You’re the only one I have left.”
Then a passenger wanted to talk to Pa, so Libby searched out Gran in the pastry kitchen. She found Samson there too, sitting on his haunches just outside the door.
“Will you feed him while I’m gone?” Libby asked, and Gran nodded.
Her smile was as warm as her kind blue eyes. “God go with you, Libby.”
But when Gran hugged her, Libby knew. Caleb’s grandmother already looked forward to that moment when all of them returned.
Standing high on the hurricane deck, Libby looked down over the railing to the river far below. Deep and dark it seemed now, just like the time ahead. Libby wished she could see through to the end—to know that Jordan and his family would reach the
Christina
safely. But the future was filled with dangers Libby could not know. She only knew that she had to listen to Caleb and Jordan and pay attention when Jordan felt uneasy.
More than once since Libby met him, Jordan had felt that uneasiness. Libby knew it was not just a worried feeling, but a lack of God’s peace. Both Caleb and Libby had learned to respect the way God gave direction to Jordan.
Libby still felt surprised that Jordan believed God wanted her along.
Why?
she wondered. The day in which Libby thought she could do whatever she set out to do seemed far in the past. Now she had no doubt about all the things she could do wrong.
The whole thing seemed strange to Libby.
Maybe God likes it when people ask for His help
. As she thought about it, she began praying. “Lord, what do You want me to do? Will You show me?”
Then, as if it had happened only a minute before, Libby remembered the day she sat on deck, drawing passengers. When Caleb saw one of her sketches, he said,
“It’s good—really good!”
He had even told Libby, “
Maybe your drawing ability will help us free Jordan’s family. I don’t know how, but let’s think about it
.”
Since then, Libby hadn’t had much time to think about anything, let alone her drawing.
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