ENDING OF PREVIOUS POST:

Billy Joe turned. "Let's get going. He ain't going to show us nothing. He can't. He ain't real and we're wasting time."

Amos, Clyde, and the other two men that came with Amos followed Billy Joe.

Rumbles and loud clashes of rocks roared from the tunnel. Stale air entered the library. Mary Pat, Nala, Cash, and the two men helping dig coughed.

One of the men held up something. "Amos, wait. I found somethun'."

Cash wiped his eyes, coughed, and then said, "It's one of Paige's tennis shoes." He dug faster. "We need to hurry! We're running out of time."



TODAY'S POST:

When the young man held up Paige's shoe, Amos closed his eyes and his lips silently moved. He opened his eyes. "We're a wastin' time."

"I agree." Billy Joe plopped a new toothpick between his lips and followed Amos.

Two of the four men that rode in the truck bed trailed behind.

Billy Joe stopped. "It's gonna be hot out there. I'll grab some water." He opened the cabinet door under the sink and quickly filled a thermos. "See, it didn't take long." As he walked closer to the back door, a floor slab creaked. "Whoa! This never happened before." He moved back and forth.

Amos joined him. "It be a sign. Dank ya, Bradley." He began searching the wall for the hidden door.

"There ain't no hidden door here. We're wastin' time. Let's go." Billy Joe opened the kitchen door. "All there is in the kitchen is a hidden staircase to Paige's bedroom. Cash put a lock on it."

"Where it be?" Amos turned and stared at Billy Joe. "Dat be what we need."

"Over here, by the pantry." Billy Joe pointed at the padlock and felt behind the cabinets for the key. When he found it, it unlocked the door. "It's in here."

Amos slid both hands along the walls looking for the latch. "I know it be here. I heard tell how the various Mr. Bookmans would go down to the tunnel and help dem slaves through dem tunnels to da next place. Dem people like dem Walkers watched da house, trying to catch dem. Dem Walker type people be slave catchers."

Moments later, the door to the tunnel opened.

"Cash, we found another door," Billy Joe called. Then waited for his buddy. "The others can finish digging. If they find anything, they can call."

"I be bettin' dem phones won't work where's we be going?" Amos shook his head.

"I'm sure you're right," said Cash as he entered the kitchen. "Why are we standing here talking? Let's go."

Amos let Dog smell the afghan and followed the animal into the tunnel.

"Doubt Paige came this way. Dog won't get her scent until he's closer." Cash was behind Amos.

"Might get da scent of dat other critter. I's tell ya, he be da best tracker around dese parts. He may not be as purdy as some dogs."

Inside the tunnel, Cash glanced around. This must be four feet wide. He looked up and thought, I'm six three and have to hunch down. Maybe a little shy of six feet tall. "Amos, where does this end? I know it can't go all the way to New York City." He grinned.

"Son, dis is a good one. Not sure who built it, but dere be more dan one tunnel. Some lead off to da First African Baptist Church, den dere be one goin' to da river, den 'nother one goin' to a big cellar."

"Great, for all we know Paige is down by the river." Cash straightened up and bumped his head. "Damnit!"

"Sh!" Billy Joe removed his toothpick. "I heard something."

Cash rubbed his head. "You hear the girls and the men digging by the library."

"No, I don't. I think I heard Morgan's bark."

"If'n you hurd dat, den we could have 'nother cave-in." Amos studied the walls.

"Let's hope my faithful buddy's imagining things. Do you have any idea which route to follow to find Paige?" Cash looked ahead.

"My memory is goin' on the hefty side of fifty years. I'm a guessin' da cellar."

"Do we keep going straight?" asked Cash.

Amos chuckled. "Boy, we ain't got no choice but straight. All leads to da cellar." He quieted and raised his hand. "I heared a dog too. Dis way."

"That's definitely Morgan." Cash tilted his head, listened, and then shoved Amos against the wall, just as some rocks came crashing down exactly where Amos had stood.

After Cash moved aside, Amos took out a red kerchief and wiped his brow. "I be mighty beholdin' to you. We best keep going as long as da good Lord's willin' and da creek don't rise."

Billy Joe threw his toothpick down. "You saying there's a creek in here too! With all the rain we just got, this tunnel will flood."



***********************************************************************
The following is a quote by Harriet Tubman, who helped the slaves escape through the Underground railroad:

By Harriet Tubman
I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can't say -- I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.