I was filled with delight with the news. First, that the Sergeant had survived. I was sure that he was dead, but thinking back, I had not really stopped to ascertain his true state. Second, that Karl was recovering, and had formed an association with Jane. It had always struck me that the Captain suffered from the kind of melancholia than comes from the lack of a life’s partner. And finally, that Alice and her husband had been working one our behalf in Manhattan, and especially, that I was no longer a fugitive felon in the state of my birth. That, with time and distance, reduced considerably the danger to Sandy. There were now too may places at too many times for her stepfather’s agents to intercept us. Still, they seemed to have intercepted my telegram from Albany, and knew our destination. That was a danger for the future.

I thought for a minute about “paper with a plan of the mansion,” and then recalled that I had left the plan discovered on the ruffian in the cave on the bed table at Anne’s. She must have taken it to the Captain on one of her sick calls. Now it might serve as evidence against Sandy’s stepfather.

Turning my thoughts to the present, we faced no especial dangers from that quarter. We had only the common dangers of the sort already encountered. Rapists and patter rollers for Becky, kidnappers and mollyhouse keepers for the all-too-pretty Hans, and the common run of thieves and cheats that prey on travelers for the whole party. I determined to discuss the situation with our new friends as soon as possible.

As Sandy and I continued toward the stage station, I reflected on Karl and Jane’s good fortune in forming an association – which reminded me how alone I was. Sandy was a ward, not a companion. Caroline was in Manhattan, and I had no expectation of seeing her again. My encounter with Gertrude, with whom I had a perfect sympathy, only heightened my loneliness. It seemed that circumstance ever doomed the blossoming of the kind of alliance I longed for.
As I was so reflecting I looked up just in time to avoid colliding with Hans and Becky.

“You aright, sir? You seems in a nuther world.”

“Sorry, Becky, I was thinking. … what did you two find out about the stage?”

“Oh, dere’s plenty o’ dem. One left jus now. One is leavin at 10, an’ a nuther ‘bout noon. De one at 10, it go straight through to Pittsburgh an gets dere ‘bout 11. De noon one, it stos for de night some place in between.”

“In Mercer,” interjected Hans.

Becky gave him a sour look for interrupting and correcting her. “Anyways, it go on to Pittsburgh in de mornin, an get there ‘bout noon.”

“If we get to Pittsburgh at 11:00, we will be hard pressed to find lodging. But, if we spend the night in Mercer, our lodging is assured. So, let us take the noon coach.” Each of my companions nodded in assent.

“A letter awaited me at the post office, which informs me that the danger to Sandy and myself has abated; however, you two still face the same dangers from which I rescued you. In the bottom of my bag are two pocket pistols. I propose to give one to each of you so that you may have some protection against kidnap. What say you?”

“I don’ know how to use no pistol.”

“I alzo do not know how.”

“We have time for a lesson. Let us walk down the shore to those words, and I will show you.” I had only a small number of balls for the flintlock pistols Anne had placed in my bag, so I let Becky and Hans each fire twice and recharge twice.

“Hans, you can carry your pistol in your pocket. Becky, you can hide yours in your stocking. Also, you should both hide your money.”

“I’s hid it already.”

“Vere can I hide it?”

“Let me see what you have. … these three $10 gold pieces are small, so we can hide them in the leather of your suspenders, and most of the rest you can put in your shoes or socks.”

As we walked back to town, I spied a stand of Cimicifuga racemosa – the black cohosh – by the path, and stopped to gather a considerable quantity to make good on my promise to Sandy. When asked why I was gathering the herb, I replied that it would help Sandy with her figure.

We bought food for the journey and arrived at the Stage station as 11:30 tolled. A company rule forbad colored persons riding within the coach, but the fare for riding atop was half as much. So, after Sandy and I had purchased our tickets, Hans and Becky purchased tickets to ride alfresco.

As with the Sultana, the advertized hour of departure bore little relation to the time made good. The coach arrived shortly after 1:00 tolled. The horses were exchanged in short order, but the continuing passengers visited the grocery and privy, and took their time in returning. I pressed for a timely departure, but the agent informed me that the company placed revenue ahead of schedule. So 1:30 tolled as we left the town precincts.

Our fellow travelers were a Jesuit priest on his way to St. Louis to teach science at the university there, a lady dressed rather immodestly but appropriately for her presumed profession, a man selling fire insurance, and master blacksmith traveling west in search of a place to set up his shop. The priest sat by me while the blacksmith and the salesman seemed happy to sit next to the lady of the evening. On top with Becky and Hans were two roustabouts hoping to find work in Pittsburgh.

While not quite plying her trade, the professional lady continually enticed her seat mates in the most scandalous way despite disapproving looks from the father and myself. Eventually Sandy fell asleep, and the priest and I decided that the best course was to ignore the behavior opposite and converse between ourselves.

The priest, one Joseph Albright, was returning from a scientific conference in the east. He asked me about our journey so far. I, refraining from any account of Sandy and myself, told him of my falling in with a group campaigning for women’s rights. He was particularly interested in Mr. Douglass, who was beginning to make a name for himself among abolitionists. In return, he told me how his order had opposed slavery since the 1500s and was largely responsible for its abolition in the Spanish colonies. This surprised me as I had heard nothing of the Spanish but tales of the Inquisition and Jesuitical plots. He provided no response beyond, “Judge us by what you see.”

The driver seemed mad to make up time, driving the horses much faster that the Sergeant or I had ever driven the trap on better roads. Still, the ride was tolerable. After about 40 miles we stopped to change horses and all climbed down to stretch out legs and visit the privy. I took the occasion to ask the driver about the ride. He pointed to the straps suspending the coach. “It’s a Concord coach. If them straps were iron springs, you’d have a sore ass and a jarred spine by now young sir, but them straps rocks the coach like a cradle.” The straps not withstanding, all aboard took ever opportunity to rest their posterior parts.

After the first stage, my conversation with the priest turned to science and the idea that, in previous eras, strange creatures inhabited the earth. He described extinct creatures great and small, whose remains he had seen in New York, Philadelphia and Washington. Explaining how this happened, he said, was one of the great problems facing 19th century science.

I was fascinated, but, being unschooled in science beyond geometry and the little botany my father taught me, I had little to contribute. Then I remembered Mr. Henry’s electric motor in Albany. The good father had met Mr. Henry at number of scientific conferences and explained to me, in the clearest manner, Mr. Henry’s discovery of “electric induction,” which is the making of magnetism by electricity. The conversation made me wish that I could study under such men.

When I said so, and that I was going to St. Louis, Fr. Albright asked what languages I had. As I responded French and Latin, he continued in Latin, which I managed to stumble through. He seemed well pleased, and urged me to apply for admission to the University, saying that he would recommend me if I did. I replied that I was not a Papist, which he said was not required. Being unable to say I was female, I agreed to reflect upon it.

The sun was low on the horizon when the coachman called out “Mercer! Night’s stop.” We found ourselves before an inn made of logs piled one upon another with the chinks filled with dry mud. Within were two long tables, set with clayware and iron utensils. The walls were lined with beds in twos, one above the other, such as I had seen on boats. The fare was simple but hearty: boiled greens, beans with salt pork, and rhubarb and honey pie for dessert. Ample quantities of cold milk and whiskey stood on each table. Becky and I each took a dram of whisky, which lightened our humor and soothed our weary bodies. Hans and Sandy did not find it to their liking and drank only milk.

After supper, we took four beds together. I slept well until strange sounds woke me. I finally understood that our fellow traveler was plying her trade with one of her seat mates.

We arose at dawn and breakfasted on white corn meal, eggs, bacon, coffee, milk and whiskey. No one over-indulged and all behaved civilly, if one excepts the midnight fornication. Soon, we were under way again, and, with one more change of horses, arrived in Pittsburgh in the early afternoon. We passed 20 or more steamboats of various descriptions at the public landing.

The final stop, after 18 hours of travel, was a tavern in the center of town. All of our fellow travelers except Fr. Albright disbursed. The five of us went in to buy dinner. The good father asked about my companions. I explained, without details, that they had been abused, and I invited them to travel with Sandy and me for their protection. He seemed to comprehend more than I had said.

“Then you must be careful which boat you embark upon. I have traveled west from here twice before. Some captains are pro-slavery Southerners who would sell Miss Becky down the river papers or not. Others are Ohio men – abolitionist through and through. As to your young German friend, he should be safe enough as long as he stays aboard the boat, but some of the river towns are wild, with corrupt constables or marshals.”

“What about St. Louis?”

“Its population is mixed. Lots of Southerners, but more men of the North. Still, there have been riots. The colored survive – and many prosper – but care must be taken,” he said looking at Becky.

“Corruption?”

“No more than usual for a city of the size. The merchants want a modicum of safety so that they may prosper.”

“How shall we choose a boat?”

“There are a number of agents selling passage, but I would recommend Cordelia Cloverfield, a Wesleyan of impeccable character and propriety. Her establishment is at Third and Liberty Sts. Here, I will draw you a map.”

Following the map we came to a small office with an apartment above. The sign read “Steamboat, Stage and Theater Bookings. Cordelia Cloverfield, Prop.” Entering, we found a woman of about 60 years seated at a roll-top desk, surrounded by bound files and papers. Maps papered the walls. Beneath them a bench and two wooden chairs were placed to accommodate patrons.

“May I help you?”

“We wish to secure passage to St. Louis. Sandy,” I said indicating her, “and I wish a cabin, but our friends can only afford steerage. We have a special concern for Becky here, lest she be taken and sold. A Jesuit, Fr. Joseph Albright, recommended you as being of impeccable character and propriety.”

“Yes, I have helped the good father before in similar circumstances. Does your friend have her freedom papers?”

I was concerned that the issue should arise, but asked Becky to comply.

“These are very good. You should have no trouble with anyone honest, and with the dishonest, not even real papers would suffice. … So, what special concerns have you Miss?”

“Miss? Is my incognito so bad?”

“No, not at all. In fact it is very good,” she said glancing between my legs. “It is just that I am so discerning,” she smiled.

Meanwhile, Hans stood staring at me slack jawed.

“Well, since you see all, I am Nancy, Sandy’s governess. I am dressed as I am to evade certain persons who are searching for us, and to deliver Sandy safely to a certain officer in St. Louis. Thus, I need to know if it is feasible for me to continue as I am or if doing so would surely lead to my discovery? Second, I am concerned that my friends be safe and well treated.”

“Then you have come to the right person.”