The sun had disappeared from sight and darkness was creeping over the land when at last Noel and his black guide arrived on the border of a long stretch of woods.
"Yo' all stay right yere, suh," said Sam, "while I done go toe see if Aunt Katie will take yo' in fo' de night."
"I don't want to stop at Aunt Katie's," declared Noel. "I want to go with you. I'm sure you're on your way to Frederick City—"
"Hush!" said Sam sternly. "Yo' all don't know who may be hidin' in dese yere trees."
The negro spoke in a whisper, but it was manifest to his companion that his fears had been aroused and perhaps not without reason.
"Yo' all do des' what I says toe yo'," continued Sam. "Set right yere behin' dis yere tree while I go toe see if Aunt Katie kin take yo' in fo' de night."
There was nothing else to be done except to obey the directions of Sam. Reluctantly Noel seated himself on the ground behind one of the large trees, and the negro at once started across the field that intervened between the woods and the little cabins, a faint outline of which could be seen in the distance. Doubtless the little whitewashed structures were the quarters of the negroes of the large plantation, Noel concluded.
The weary young soldier leaned forward and watched the departing Sam as long as he could be seen. In a brief time the young negro passed beyond the nearest of the cabins.
A half-hour or more elapsed before Sam returned. Noel's anxiety meanwhile had been increasing, and he was on the point of departing from the vicinity, as he had become fearful that his guide might play him false and report him to his enemies instead of to the colored woman to whom he had referred as the friend of escaping whites and blacks alike.
The dim outlines of the approaching guide soon became more clearly defined, and it was with a feeling of relief that Noel heard Sam say, "Hit's all right, suh. Aunt Katie done say as how she will take yo' in. Dere's one white man dere now, but she done say she can always find room fo' one mo'."