Without thinking you call out to the rider, "Hey there!". The rider pulls the reins of his horse and turns it around towards you. Peering into the darkness he calls, "Who's there?"

​

Your mind races with indecision but Ellen makes up your mind by stepping out of your hiding spot in the bushes and onto the dirt road. You can hear your heartbeat in your ears.

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"We're heading for Caanan", your wife says. A thinly veiled Biblical reference to the North and freedom. This moment is critical. The rider is a black man but even so, he might turn you in to get the reward or avoid being punished for helping runaways. 

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You slowly pick up a rock and hold it behind your back just in case you might need a weapon if this rider turns out to be an enemy.

​

"Well, the wind blows from the south today", the rider says. You understand that this is a code that means, slave catchers are nearby. "You might need to seek shelter." 

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A wave of relief and joy washes over you. Ellen lets out a laugh.

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"I can't take you on my horse but there is a cabin in the woods not too far from here. Get off the road and follow the river north. It will take you to a small cabin in the woods. Look for the candle in the window."

​

​

You don't know this, but the black freedman is actually none other than Harriet Tubman who had gotten word of two escaped slaves in the area. Your master had already sounded the alarm and a search party was underway. Word has traveled among the slaves about your escape. Gossip travels fast.

​

At great personal risk to herself, Tubman slipped back into Maryland to find you before the slave catchers did.