18360114 13:29:17

18360114 13:29:17

The axe fell through the stump in a clean stroke, and when Daron had the blade driven into the wood he was able to see the three children run towards the cabin. Jesse held the door open for the Poole children and waved his free arm around in a circle, as if he was herding cattle into the opening. Once they were inside, he slammed the door shut and caused an echo to ripple throughout the surrounding woods. He wasted no time in dropping the axe and making his way to the cabin to join the children inside. When he entered, the two younger children were already out of sight, having concealed themselves underneath some of their blankets. Jesse had the gun readied on the table and a hatchet in his hand.
"How many?"
"Just one. On horse. No carriage. Wasn't fast, but he's on his way here for sure."
"All right. Forget that hatchet boy, get the shot ready. I've got to teach you how to load this thing next time."
"Yes sir." Jesse laid the hatchet on the table and grabbed the box of steel shot from the corner of the cabin. He pulled the box halfway open after placing it on the surface.
"Jesse, I'm scared!" Marian's voice was muffled from underneath the blanket over her body.
"Hush, all of you! Let me focus!" Daron's command silenced the room as he hunched his body near the window enough to permit the top of his head to peer over the bottom of the sill where he held the gun muzzle at the ready. The seconds slowly crept by as the silence was eventually broken up by an approaching gallop. Eventually, the rider was in sight of the cabin, and Daron focused his aim on the man in the black winter riding coat and raccoon skin hat. Daron curled his finger around the gun's trigger as the man dismounted. He stood on the ground and stood in place as he looked widely to his sides before cupping his hands around his mouth and called out into the open.
"Mister Daron Hoobler!"
Daron let his hand drift away from the rifle and slowly stood up in amazement. He recognized the voice.
"Is it really him?" Jesse asked this with a tone that reflected his surprise as well.
Daron held the rifle by the barrel in one hand as he opened the door and stepped outside of the cabin.
"Frederic! You have returned!"
"Oh, Daron! You are indeed here! How happy I am to see you here!" Frederic Allange walked over to Daron and took hold of his right hand with both of his own. The two men laughed out loud in mutual relief, then Daron quickly escorted Frederic to come inside the cabin with him. Frederic's face stiffened slightly as the odor of the cabin struck him, but he pushed the sensation out of his mind and stood inside with a face aglow with relief to see Daron and Jesse again.
"Please sit, Frederic. Jesse, go tend to his horse and lead it to the barn. Children, it is safe. This man is a friend."
Saul and Marian Poole began to pull the blanket off of their bodies, but sat prone and immobile upon seeing Frederic before them. Frederic likewise glanced at Daron with a hint of incredulity on his face.
"Are these yours, Daron?"
"No, no they're not, no, hah. There is an explanation. Their names are Saul and Marian."
"Ah, I see. Mister Saul, Miss Marian, it is a pleasure to meet you. Daron and I are friends." The two children did not have any response and remained frozen in place. Jesse promptly left the cabin and went to tend to the horse.
"Frederic, please sit, please. I never expected you to be here now, so much has happened."
"Well, that's what brought me here, Daron." Frederic sat opposite of Daron at the table and felt his body nearly give way as the worn wooden chair audibly strained from the weight. "Mm. I have returned to Baltimore some time ago and I have heard some men speaking around town."
"How so?"
"Well, you know how men concern themselves with the goings of your kind, and I was at a saloon in the late evening hours when men were more likely to speak freely. There was talk about the comings and goings of freed slaves and the like, and then I overhear one of them boast about an attack that was made this past fall. I hear one of the men say 'As long as we handle them like we did that negro down at the end of the coast, we'll be all right'. I ask for details and the man goes on to boast more, saying; 'We went down there, a whole lot of us, and we torched that negro's barn and house down, and we ruined him. He ran off like a chicken shit and we could have chased him, but it didn't matter, his place was ruined, he was done. We just as good as killed him.', and other men nodded solemnly and some even softly laughed about it. I soon discerned they were referring to here, but I wanted to verify it with my own eyes. I couldn't believe that you would have been done in. And indeed you haven't! But, oh, what a state you are in now. That house destroyed, and you left to twist in the wind. How despicable."
"Yes, well, it is a pitiful time, yes." Daron felt his anger begin to swell up within his body. "But pity doesn't keep us alive. We fought through it and here we are. And we still got a whole winter to get through yet."
"True, yes."
"And what of your words from last time, Frederic? Did you tell your brothers of this farm and the opportunity here? We did not see anyone of your kind come here after you left. Not once."
"So it seems. Perhaps my advertisements were misdirected or otherwise subdued. Daron, you must believe me when I say that I did send letters back to my country in earnest. Perhaps nobody there believed you had a chance."
"Well now you see me, now will you say that there is a chance yet? Now you see that I am alive, that I am still here, can you make that known?"
"I could, yes." Frederic nodded and began to contemplate the means in which he could communicate the present situation. "Perhaps I could speak to other people as well. People of your kind, particularly."