Leapholes

Chapter 24

Hey, what do you think you're doing over there?"

Ryan was only half awake, and he didn't recognize the voice. Somehow, however, he realized that the man was talking to him.

Ryan wiped the sleep from his eyes. Part of his brain expected to see the palm trees and sandy beaches along Biscayne Bay. Those images, however, were only in his memories. Instead, he saw the glisten of sunshine dance across the flowing waters of the Mississippi River. He saw Jarvis sound asleep on the grassy bank. And he saw a very large man on a very high horse.

Ryan rose to his feet and faced the stranger. "We're just resting, sir."

The man climbed down from his horse and stepped closer. A beard and thick sideburns covered most of his face. A bushy walrus-like mustache concealed his lips. Ryan hadn't noticed before, but the man was wearing a star-shaped badge on the' pocket of his blue shirt. It read METROPOLITAN POLICE. A gun was holstered on his right side, and he carried a nightstick in his left hand. Ryan braced himself for his first encounter with the law of the nineteenth century.

"You boys aren't from around here, are you?" said the police officer. He seemed intrigued by Ryan's clothes. The blue jeans and sweatshirt weren't totally out of place, but his sneakers were unlike any footwear for the time period.

"No, we're from-" Ryan stopped himself. The less said, the better. "We're from out of town."

"When did you get in?"

"This afternoon."

He spotted the remains of their crab-apple meal scattered across the grass. His gaze returned quickly, and his icy-blue eyes made Ryan shiver. "Where did you get those apfelsT'

"ApfelsT' said Ryan.

"I mean apples," the officer said, correcting himself. The lapse into German pegged him as one of the city's many immigrants.

"Oh, do you mean these apples?" said Ryan, stalling.

"We found them," said Jarvis, rising.

Ryan did a double take. He had thought Jarvis was still sleeping. It was a relief to let someone else do the explaining.

"Found them, huh? You didn't happen to find them on Mrs. Emerson's tree, did you?"

"I wouldn't know anything about a Mrs. Emerson," said Jarvis.

"Is that so? I'll have you know that those are winter crabs you're eating. We had ourselves a mild winter, but Mrs. Emerson's got the only trees in town with fruit hanging in March. So what have you to say about this, boy? You want to tell me whose tree you raided?"

"Ryan, don't say anything," said Jarvis, his voice barely above a whisper.

The sour taste of crab apples was rising in Ryan's throat. If he got into trouble now, he might never find Hezekiah. "I'm not going to lie. We were going to pay for them, as soon as we figured out how to get some money. We took them from-"

"Hey, Conradt!" another officer shouted. He was on horseback, stopped on a street that led down to the river.

The other officer-Conradt-shouted back at him. "What you want, Brooks?"

"Need your help on Main Street. The posse is back in town. They got six runaway slaves with them."

Officer Conradt pointed toward Ryan and said, "Can't you see I'm busy here?"

"Forget about them!" said Brooks. "We gotta get this crowd under control, or we'll have a riot on our hands. Every available officer, right now!"

Conradt shook his head, frustrated. He looked at Ryan and Jarvis and said, "Guess this is your lucky day, fellas." Then he jumped back on his horse and rode back into town.

The minute he was gone, Ryan said, "Let's get over to Main Street."

"What?" said Jarvis.

"Didn't you hear what that other cop said? A posse is bringing runaway slaves into town. People are up in arms. It's the slave owners versus the slavery opponents. This could be it!"

He started running. Jarvis gave chase, but he was nowhere near as fast.

"Could be what?" said Jarvis.

Ryan was at full speed, headed for Main Street. He glanced back and shouted, "That place Hezekiah was looking for. The place where the brood follows the dam!"