Still Standing by Don Solenberger, Judith Gotwald (whitelam books .TXT) 📕

The plan went well. Soon the three boys were sitting at the kitchen table with Mother and Father Custer and brother Nevin.

When learning of their unexpected guest, Maria Custer had put extra effort into the farmhouse dinner. All ate ravenously. Sam was unaccustomed to eating at the same table with white people but the hours together in the barn had almost made him forget his position. At first, he sat stiffly at the table, his hands in his lap, his head hanging low, not sure how to behave. But with an elbow or two from his new best friends he soon was eating and chattering as if he’d been an honored guest at their table many times. Emanuel and his wife left the table and went together into the family parlor. Together, the boys cleared the table and cleaned the kitchen. Autie and Tom were impressed with Sam’s ability to know just what needed to be done. Then Mother Custer took the boys upstairs.

“First, Sam, you need some new britches. Here are two pairs Autie has outgrown. Try them on.

“Autie and Tom, you sleep in your room like always. We’ve laid some blankets out on the floor in the corner of our room for Sam. Your father thinks our bedroom will be safest place for Sam tonight.”

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The night passed peacefully, but the household woke before dawn to the clopping sound of an unusual number of horses on the nearby road. Emanuel stood on the farmhouse porch and saw two teams of men riding back and forth in opposite directions, up and down the road, drifting into the neighboring fields.

“Autie, run to the barn and get a horse ready. I’m going to ride out and see what they are looking for.”

“Pap, you know what they are looking for.”

“Hush, Autie, we’ll let them tell us what they know. It pays to be quiet and listen sometimes,” his father rebuked him.

Autie ran to the barn, and saddled one of the workhorses. He took a second saddle and threw it across the back of a second horse. “I’m going with him,” he thought.

Emanuel Custer looked at Autie with a hint of pride as he saw him leading two horses from the barn. His oldest son was growing up.

Emanuel called into the house.

“Maria, Autie and I are riding out to the road to see what’s going on. Keep the children in the house. All the children,” he added.

It was a short ride to the road, just a hundred yards or so.

“Hello, Emanuel,” one rider greeted him by name. “Are you coming to help?”

“That depends on what the job is. What’s the trouble, boys?”

“We’re looking for runaways. Some Southern fellows rode into Monroe yesterday afternoon on the trail of fugitive slaves. A boy was spotted near here yesterday morning. We’re giving our Southern friends a hand. Mind if we check your barn?”

Emanuel turned to Autie. “Son, you just saddled the horses. Did you notice anyone hiding in the barn.”

“Nothing but horses, cows and chickens in the barn, Pap.”

“Well, Emanuel, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll send a couple of men to check the nooks and crannies. These blackies have been running for weeks and know how to hide.”

“Be my guest, check the house, too, if you like.” Autie felt a chill, but quickly found that his father’s judgment was right.

“No need to disturb the ladies and children.”

He shouted orders to a couple of men.

“Check the Custer barn, fellows, and ride back behind the apple trees.”

Autie saw heavy chains dangling from the rider’s saddle horn. Autie’s heart was in his throat. “He’d known Sam for less than a day but he didn’t want to see him hauled away in chains.”

He watched as his Father mounted the spare horse and chatted with the lead horseman.

Emanuel knew all of the men. Autie had seen several of them at the Custer kitchen table late at night, arguing politics. Autie admired his father’s easy way with people, especially how he could befriend anyone, stand firm for his own ideas, and part friends. Autie glanced nervously now and then toward the farmhouse but noticed that each time he did his father made an effort to draw him into the discussion.

“Why, Autie, here, will be finished with school in another year or two.”

“I’ll be! What are you planning on doing after that, young fellow?”

The two men talked with ease and soon the riders returned from the Custer farmyard.

“No sign of any runaways,” they reported.

“Time to move on. You two like to ride with us?” he asked Emanuel and Autie.

“Sorry, we have to shoe some horses for Monroe’s finest today.”

Both men laughed and the search party rode off.

Emanuel and Autie watched for a few minutes. Emanuel did not break his gaze at the men disappearing from view. At last he spoke. “We have to get Sam on his way as soon as possible. Let’s ride around the edge of our property to make sure there are no stragglers—and then get back to the house.”

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Don Solenberger is a retired businessman with a love of history and the American Civil War.

Judith Gotwald, a Philadelphia writer and graphic designer, helped Don tell his story.

For more info visit: gotwaldcreationportfolio.com/still-standing/ 

Publication Date: 09-09-2014

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