The light left them as they entered the thicket of vegetation. Their pace slowed to a trot, and they picked their way over fallen trees and other low brush and debris. The much cooler air was a relief. 

Ten minutes went by and Nolan recognized the familiar remnants of an old burned homestead. The fireplace was the only thing partially standing, but it was enough to serve as a good landmark. He slowed his mount even more and signaled Jackson to fall in behind him. Their path ended at a dark copse of brush. He carefully moved aside a false front of the thicket with his free arm, and gestured Jackson to follow him onto a narrow path hidden behind it.

Once they secured the thicket entrance behind them, the two men moved carefully down the path. The sound of crickets chirping got louder. A narrow crevice of light broke through the trees and shined on the water’s edge, illuminating its surface. It made the black water seem almost crystal-like, but it was only a couple of feet deep and was swamp. 

“There is a flatboat moored here somewhere. We can use it to get down the river after we drop Rinny off with Ol’ Indie.” 

Jackson pulled up and dismounted. He held Rinny until Nolan could alight.

Nolan had only been here once, but he was confident he could recall all the steps to the flatboat. They would need it to move the horses once they got Rinny settled. 

Luck was with them. He tied up his horse and walked over to a large hollow log. Carefully, he pulled the log back, moving the almost woven thicket and giving them entrance to a hidden dock. 

“The flatboat should be here. I want to check while we have good light. Let’s secure this entrance in case we are followed.” 

They led their horses forward and moved an identical log pulling a cover over the entrance from the other side. They walked up to a dock that was almost hidden by the brush. The flatboat was anchored alongside of the dock. 

“Okay, we can tie the horses on this and move up the river. We won’t go far on it, but it will help cover our trail.”

“You’ve been thinking about this. This looks like a good plan.” 

“I have the advantage of knowing the land.” Nolan nodded. “Thank you for doing this. I know your reasons and I realize you are still questioning your judgment, but I appreciate your kindness. I understand the chance you are taking for me.”

Nolan was also glad for Jackson’s vigilance. He recalled seeing Jackson watch the Summers’ lands carefully, even readying his gun—something Nolan missed doing. 

 “Do you think the horses will be okay if we put them in the lean-to over there?” Nolan pointed to a covered area about twenty feet from them. It was partially hidden. 

Jackson followed the direction Nolan pointed. A lean-to large enough for the two horses stood in front. “Well, err… yes. But I’m surprised to see these accommodations. It’s a good use of this rather obscure land. What other uses does this area have?” 

Nolan smiled at Jackson. “Well, I know that this is part of the underground. Slaves passed from here safely most of the time, headed north to Ohio. I’m not sure of the next stop, but this was one of the best places they left from, as I understand. This war will change all of that.”

“But you still have slaves, although many ran off, according to Ella.”

Nolan nodded. “Yes. You may have noticed it, but we feel differently about our workers than most. We grew up knowing we had to respect the system. We don’t like slavery, but this is the South and being different isn’t tolerated too well. We tried to do things different where we could. We made our money on the crops and we gave our slaves a share of the crop money, and a place to live. Profits always supported our way of doing things. We rarely had runaways—until the war, when they were freed.” Nolan harrumphed. 

“You don’t agree they should be freed?”

Nolan thought for a minute. “Yes and no. I know that we practiced slavery here. We still have slaves although Ella doesn’t think of them as slaves. They are our people, our friends and family. It’s the way we were raised. Our parents always tried to help our people. We couldn’t do things like teach them all to read, ‘cause word would get out and it would cause trouble for everyone, including the slaves. But to free them without first making sure they can provide for their families is wrong. They need trade skills to earn a living, and they need to read, write, and cipher. 

Jackson considered what Nolan told him. “It makes sense, what you say. Your people are very loyal to you and your family that much I have observed. They know they are free to go if they want, yet they stay.”

“My mamma and papa were great people.” Nolan stopped. He realized he used the past tense when he mentioned his father. “I guess you know my papa left shortly after I did. We haven’t heard from him. I know I will need to find him, but don’t know the first place to look.” He looked away from Jackson, not at anything in particular. “Let’s tie up our horses there. We’ll use the post, hurry over there, and get back.” He pointed to a small knoll of land that had a tree stump in the middle. “Not too many horses come back here, unless it’s Carter. He fixed up hooks on it.” 

They secured their horses. Jackson took Rinny down, getting a lick for his efforts. Once Nolan got off his mount, he got Rinny and walked to the bridge. 

“Okay. Let’s head over to Ol’ Indie’s.” 

They got through the thicketed entrance and looked back to ensure the spot was as hidden as they found it. 

“Which way?” Jackson looked at the wooded, damp area that surrounded them. 

“This way.” They backtracked a little along the path they initially came through, but then turned right into an area that seemed to be darker than the rest. Two old oak trees stood side by side, almost like an entrance. Once they passed the oaks, the crickets and other night noises started up. 

“Careful. Let’s go one in front of the other. Ol’ Indie’s hut isn’t far ahead, but it’s a little difficult to see and get to.”

The two men meandered. Now and then, Rinny would raise his head a little, but Nolan patted him, calming him. 

They came to a tiny muddy beach. More light seemed to break through here. 

“There’s her hut.” Nolan pointed to a hut over the water, about thirty yards out. “The bridge is attached with ropes on all sides. It is an elaborate system that serves as both handrails and functions as a pulley to move the bridge to the hut and back.” The light ended at the beach, leaving the hut in a dark, shaded area. It faced the south, catching the early sun; by noon the trees cast it into a shadowed darkness.

“You have to know this is here to notice or find it.” 

“Yes, I think that was the idea. Ol’ Indie always wanted to have her own place. Her people used to practice medicine and when my papa freed her, giving her papers, she didn’t go far. She tries to help anyone she can. Ol’ Indie found me on the battlefield. I woke up here after she had doctored on me for a while.”

Jackson reflected on that information for a moment before responding. “That explains a lot.”

“Yes. I found my way out, and well, you know the rest.” Nolan didn’t want to shine a light on that again. He needed to get Rinny over to Ol’ Indie and get going.

At the water’s edge, he laid Rinny down, picked up a small stone, and threw it at the hut. It ricocheted off the wall and landed in the water. “It’s a signal.” The two men and the dog got on the flat floating bridge and pulled it towards the hut. 

The door opened and Ol’ Indie stepped out. “Lordy. What you brung me, Massa Nole?” She peeked closer to the dog. “That’s Massa Summer’s dog. What you do ‘in with Massa Summers’ dog, Massa Nole?”

“Someone murdered the Summers—not sure how or by whom. Rinny was left for dead. He probably tried to defend them. Can you help him?” 

“Oh Lordy!” she glanced over her shoulder. “Carter. We need your help.”

Her son emerged from the hut and helped bring Rinny inside. 

“Carter. I wondered if you were here.” Nolan shook his hand. 

“Yassuh. I brung Ma some baked bread and beans from supper last evening, and I see she has herself some warm cornbread and bacon going.” He grinned at his mother. 

“I didn’t see a horse, Carter. How’d you get here?” Jackson checked behind him, as if making sure he hadn’t overlooked a horse. 

“Why, I walked and rode the flat float, suh.” Carter looked confused as to what this visit was about.

“I’d love to stay and have a longer visit, but we need to get going. I’m heading back to my unit. Colonel Ross is taking me part of the way.” 

Jackson looked at Nolan, a puzzled look on his face.

“Yassuh.” Ol’ Indie nodded her head several times, focusing on Rinny. “Well, you leave des here dog with me. I think I can doctor him up just like new. You want us to bring him back to de house when he feels betta?” Ol’ Indie lightly scratched Rinny’s head. At her soft touch, Rinny tried to raise his head.

“You think you can heal him?” Nolan’s voice caught. “We couldn’t leave him to be pecked to death by buzzards.” 

“I sure do, Massa Nole. Don’t you worry about des here dog. He gonna be just fine.” Ol’ Indie nodded to her son, signaling him to bring the dog closer to her medicines. 

Carter placed Rinny on a pallet that Ol’ Indie placed near the stove and her herb cabinet. Rinny tried to raise his head as if to say goodbye but couldn’t. Nolan leaned down and petted the dog almost reverently. “I’ll see you again, Rinny,” Nolan whispered. “Thank you, Ol’ Indie.” He stood and gathered himself. His eyes misted. 

Without looking back again, Nolan left the hut to join Carter and Jackson, who were waiting beyond the door. 

Jackson gave a polite salute. “Thank you, Ol’ Indie. I’ll be heading back soon. Maybe when you stop by, you can let me know how Rinny is doing?” 

“Yassuh, Colonel, suh. I will do that. And Massa Nole, this pup will be home to greet you when you get back.” Ol’ Indie looked tenderly at her charge, and then stepped outside. Her sharp eyes took in the sky and riveted back across the swamp to where the horses had been hidden. “You must hurry, all you boys. I hear noises in de swamp. You boys go, quickly now! Carter, show dem dat shortcut, and make sure they know about the dangers.”

“Yes, Mamma.” Carter hugged his mother and rushed to catch up with Nolan and Jackson, who were already walking back on the water bridge. When they got to the other side, Carter unhooked the ropes and put them back on the bridge. He gave a short whistle and Ol’ Indie stepped out and retracted the bridge, section by section, back to the house. 

Each section tilted when the right pressure was on it, and the next layer slid under it. Finally, the three wooden and vine segments were together, and Ol’ Indie secured them at the edge of the hut. She released a rope and a large tangle of branches woven together moved down from above the hut and covered the entrance. The branches were living vines that concealed a skeleton branch.

“Let’s get the horses, suh. Follow me. There is a quick way out; but, we need to hurry.” 

The three of them quietly made their way along the edge of the swamp facing the hut. Tied up on the shore was the large flatboat they had seen earlier, hidden beneath branches. It looked wide enough for two horses and the three men. They secured the horses to a post in the center. 

Carter pushed off and grabbed the steering rudder on the back. He pointed to the poles lashed down on the sides. In a quiet voice, he broke through the crickets and other noises of the swamp. “We need to pole to the entrance over there.” He pointed to a stand of vines and trees in the distance ahead of them. 

The three men moved the raft and the horses in silence, going deeper into the swamp towards the river. Five minutes later, they swung their craft east, poling slowly down the still waters of the river. 

“It’s still. At least we don’t have the current to paddle against.” Carter’s voice was low and hopeful. Holding onto the rudder, he leaned down and picked up two large paddles for the other men. 

Nolan grabbed the paddle and slowly worked it through the water. “We should be able to get close enough to Kinston once we hit shore, Colonel. Carter will take the raft back. Unless we see some of my men, you can probably ride safely back using the main roads.”

Jackson nodded, digging his paddle into the water.

Nolan swallowed back the lump in his throat. “Jackson, please take care of my family for me. Ella is a very special sister. And my baby brother… well, he already looks up to you.”

“I will see to your family best I can. You try to stay alive in this conflict. Your sister will count on you coming back home to her.” Jackson held his paddle for a moment. “I think under different circumstances we could be friends, but this war…” he said, dropping his thought. “I do, however, wish you safe passage to your men.” 

Nolan smiled and reached over to pat the neck of his mount. 

* * *

They had only covered a few miles of the river when they heard a man and a woman’s voice coming from the shoreline behind them. The riders were still too far away to see their faces, but the men knew the raft had been spotted. 

Carter picked up a paddle himself. All three of them put their shoulders into paddling as hard as they could, their distant goal in sight. 

Carter spoke first. “I recognize them. Those people were camping in the swamp right much. They both got soldier uniforms, but it sounds like they is a man and a woman. Can’t tell from a distance—I didn’t get too close ‘because they look like trouble. They stay away from Ma’s hut. Ma says she heard voices of a woman over the water, talking to a man about the voodoo woman in the swamp. It’s hard to sneak up on Ma’s hut. The voices carry loud over water.” Carter chuckled softly and passed a sly look to both men. “They may think Ma will cast some kind of spell on them.”

“Does she really know voodoo?” Jackson’s eyes widened.

“Oh yes, suh. She does. Our people be from the islands. They pass that knowledge to my ma as a chile. But Ma, she only uses the good healing powers. She doesn’t believe in doing bad things to people. Ma says I don’t have the right concentration, so she doesn’t plan to waste her time teaching any of the medicines to me.” Carter snickered. “Lizzy may learn, though. Ma says she at the right age to learn.”

“Just curious, but about what is the right age to learn?” Jackson whispered. 

“Well, a body grows up learning and knowing. But Lizzy is ‘bout twenty-five years,” Carter responded. “We were raised together. I’m older by a bit, maybe ten years.”

“Carter and Lizzy have lived with our family as far back as I can remember,” Nolan interjected. “I recall Pa discussing Lizzy as being about five years older than Ella. They have been more family than anything else.” 

“We both feel that way, Massa Nole.”

Nolan swallowed. The clarity of Ella’s argument dawned on Nolan. They were family to her, and he was seeing her point about their people. “Carter’s right. His ma only uses her medicine to help people. She has been helping people all over the plantation. She saved many with her medicines and her knowledge. Ol’ Indie is a wise woman; she has always been part of our family.” His voice conveyed concern. It was important that Ol’ Indie wasn’t thought to be a witch among these Yankees. 

Shots fired along the shore grabbed their attention. The horses spooked and stamped to get away. Jackson passed his paddle to Nolan, then, turned to the horses, quieting them. 

It took a few minutes, but the horses calmed down. The three men together looked around the river, at least the part they could see. 

Nobody. Where had they gone? They hadn’t imagined the shots.

* * *

Jackson couldn’t decide how he felt. On one hand, he felt like he had made the right decision, considering the danger Nolan would have been in had he been turned over to take the oath—not that he thought that process would have born results. He knew better. He would have been confined to the plantation, until being moved to a prison camp, since he was an officer. If it became known that he spied as Private White, he would have been hanged. 

He thought about the meeting he and Marshall had with Foster; they talked about almost ten known Confederate soldiers who had returned home and then disappeared only to be found dead later. 

These soldiers had taken the oath and should have been able to live without fear of retaliation. They bore no threat. It had to be someone in charge that could order these young men out of their homes. 

His gut twisted at the thought of Ella facing bad news of her brother. Helping Nolan escape was the best immediate solution. 

At least that’s what he was telling himself. 

This day had taken a turn for the complicated. Jackson had the uncomfortable feeling that he had launched himself into the middle of a wild adventure. Backwoods, swamps, voodoo magic, hidden rafts, and the death of two prominent citizens—not to mention saving a dog. He had even taken refuge in the middle of some of the darkest marshes on the river.

A few of his questions about Whitford got answered though. He wasn’t sure how he felt about all of that yet. He would need more time to ponder over the day. 

At least there was a small measure of comfort in the realization that there was no way they could have found Nolan Whitford. The young man had been hidden and well cared for by none other than sweet Ol’ Indie. Had it not been for her, he might have been found. 

A chuckle escaped, and he looked around, hoping he hadn’t laughed aloud. No one seemed to hear anything. He relaxed. 

No one would have found her hut. Jackson wasn’t sure how he felt about that, but now wasn’t the time. She had been good to all of them and had probably saved Ella’s life as much as he had. She put her life in jeopardy, walking herself right into that trap just to get to Ella. 

Now they were saddled with the Blacks, cast-outs from the Southern army ranks who were probably responsible for the brutality being reaped on unsuspecting families in this area. Carter's description of the two people sounded like the Blacks. 

They seemed close again. Where was Marshall? Had he picked up the Blacks’ trail? As much as he hoped their trail was in the other direction, it could be hard to explain what he was doing if Marshall happened upon him and Nolan here together. 

The shots made him nervous. If it wasn’t the Blacks, who could these people be, and what were they after? 

They were dangerous that was certain. He didn’t want to be a target in the middle of the river. Had these people followed them from the farm? Were they planning to attack? There had to be a purpose as to why they were being tracked. 

There were so many questions. He rubbed his forehead, trying to delay the pain he felt moving from the back of his head. Jackson adjusted his hat back a little. The shore was close. He had the unnerving feeling that trouble could be, too. 

Fifteen minutes went by and Carter directed the party onto jutting branch of land almost hidden by hanging vegetation. They pulled the raft up to the shore and disembarked. The horses neighed and stomped their feet, letting everyone know they were glad to see hard dirt. 

“Suh, I think I will lie low and wait a little while before taking the raft back to the swamp.” Carter dropped the rope around the steering oar and pulled it onto shore, wrapping it around the largest shrub. 

“Be careful,” Jackson replied, looking around. 

“Well, yassuh. I will. Massa Nolan, be careful getting to Kinston.”

Jackson looked at Nolan. He seemed pensive. 

“Colonel Ross, you a real good man, suh. We ‘appreciate what you are doing here for Massa Nolan.” Carter reached out to shake Jackson’s hand. 

“I asked Carter to be an extra set of ears for you and make sure he keeps an eye on the areas around the home,” Nolan added. 

“Fine. Let’s move away from the river. Carter, any advice you can give would be appreciated. Thank you very much for helping us. We wouldn’t have made it this far without your help.”

“You welcome, suh.” Carter gave a quick nod, appreciating their words. He shifted his shoulders, standing up straighter. He motioned towards the small brush covering up the entrance to the makeshift pier. “Okay, go straight through that pass yonder and it will take you clear to a main road. Don’t know what the name is, but we call it the river road, since it mostly follows the river. Head east going on six miles. You will come to a small farm just a stone’s throw from Sassers’ Mill. You ’member that place, don’t you, Massa Nole? Your daddy would take the grain there every season.” Carter looked at Jackson. “Now, Sassers’ Mill is a stronghold for the Confederates. We see them all the time, their people patrolling.” 

“We?” Jackson had to ask. “Who do you mean, ‘we’?” 

“Us Negroes, of course. We move in the brush, so we aren't seen. You may not even know we are around. We learn to move quickly and quietly to stay away from the slavers. Even us free ones, we know better than to be caught, and these times, many Negroes work for the Union Army, running errands back and forth.” 

He hesitated. “Colonel Ross, suh, Massa Nole is like a brother and you and Miss Ella be getting on good. My Lizzy and me, we don’t want you boys harmed.” 

“Why thank you, Carter.” A smile covered Jackson’s face. “And I enjoy your company.”

Carter nodded. “Well, now. Best that I finish up, so you folks can get on your way. There's six hours to nightfall and the heat is still rising. I think it be best to move at night. It could take longer, but you will have cover. Try to stay to the sides of de road, keeping your eyes peeled. There be some of my folks, Colonel, that would do you harm. They’d let the Rebs know you on de road, mostly alone. No offense, Massa Nole. But, these things are important. They turn in a man such as yourself, Colonel. It brings a reward.” 

Carter cleared his throat. Nolan and Jackson nodded. 

He continued. “Once you get there, if you head east, Lower Trent Road takes you to Kinston. Massa Nole, you ‘members the way.” When you get to Wyse Forks, head to Kinston. Colonel, head west. West puts you on Upper Trent and takes you back to New Bern. Remember—try to keep to de shadows if you can and be watchful. The Confederates have a line set up at Southwest Creek, ‘bout five miles down Lower Trent. Best you be on the lookout for scouts. I see them often.

“There be some farmland up here, close now. They have a big well and you can water the horses, most likely without being seen. The family be done gone. Headed out of town when the Union soldiers came. Might be a good place to stop and rest. It’s just beyond the first turn in the road going east.” 

Jackson nudged Mason closer, and he shook Carter’s hand. 

Nolan hugged Carter. “Take good care of Rinny for me. I’ll do my best to come home. I promise. Keep everyone straight for us, Carter.” He winked and mounted his mare. The two men headed quietly towards the main road.