Escape to Pennsylvania

“Godspeed to thee, ladies and gentlemen,” said Thomas Garrett. “Write me when you arrive in Philadelphia.”

Alexander cracked the reins and the horses took off. He kept them running at full speed until they were a few miles outside of Wilmington. Everyone in the carriage bounced and jostled with each bump in the road. Zammie sat next to a window and he could stick his head out a little and see the quarter moon and the stars shining brightly above them. He could also see the horizon point where the sky met the northern edge of the Allegheny Mountain Range way off to the west.  The air rushing past him was very cold forcing him to bring his head back inside. As he did something moving on the road behind them caught his attention. He stuck his head back out again and saw another buggy following them at full gallop.

“There’s someone following us!” Zammie said.

Robert and Ben both looked out the windows on the other side of the carriage. They could see the buggy with two passengers being pulled by two horses.

Alexander had also heard the carriage. When they arrived at the top of a small hill he stood up and looked back. The smaller, lighter buggy was quickly gaining on them.

“Hold on inside,” he yelled. He cracked the reins again and pushed his two horses to run as fast as they could. They were just a few miles south of Pennsylvania and he was hoping to cross the state line before the pursuers overtook them. Alexander pulled a Colt Navy revolver out of his coat preparing for a possible confrontation.

The buggy was less than two hundred yards away when Harriet could hear the chasing men yelling for Alexander to stop.

“Oh, Lord, please don’t let ‘em catch us!” said Henry. His hands were folded in front of his face in prayer.

Alexander pushed his horses to run faster.  Then the firing of a gun was heard coming from the chasing carriage.

“Get down everyone!” said Harriet. Everyone in the carriage tried to crumple down as low as they could, but it was difficult with so many people crammed into such a small space.

Bullets began zipping past Alexander. One bullet went through the back of the wagon, through the cabin, and continued out the front of the wagon. Zammie saw the splintered bullet hole in the wood panel right above Kyla’s head.

Alexander took another look back and saw that the pursuers were now within one hundred yards. He fired one round off from his gun but a bump in the road threw off his aim and the bullet was sent off harmlessly into the night sky. A second later he heard another round from the pursuers zip past his ear. It sounded like the buzz of a bee flying by. They were getting too close, and the state line was still a good distance away. 

Alexander took a deep breath. He turned around, and fired four shots in quick succession towards one of the pursuer’s horses. A moment later he saw the horse stagger and fall in the middle of the road pulling the second horse down as well and bringing the buggy to a stop. One of the men in the buggy jumped out onto the road and fired a couple more shots towards Alexander, but neither shot made its mark. Alexander continued pushing his horses for another mile and a half when he saw a sign post that raised his spirits. 

-- "Escape to Pennsylvania" 

from Time Trip #2: A Ride On the Underground Railroad

TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 4

KILLING FOR COUNTRY  

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TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 1

THE JOURNEY TO ANCIENT GREECE 

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TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 2

A RIDE ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

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TIME TRIP ADVENTURE 3

WITNESS TO THE FIRST THANKSGIVING 

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