Trouble Don't Last

Harrison has “lung fever,” or pneumonia. Belle says that many people get pneumonia after running away from enslavement and making a long journey, but Harrison’s case is particularly serious. Belle uses a remedy of brandy and eggs, like her mother used to do. She asks Samuel many questions about his and Harrison’s past lives and future plans to distract the boy from his worry for Harrison.

Harrison and Samuel stay with Belle and August for a while. August goes to work on “the cars,” and one evening, he takes Samuel along. Samuel learns that August works on trains, but Samuel has never seen a train before. When he hears the train rumbling and sees it moving with no horses pulling it, he is initially scared until August reassures him. August’s plan is for Harrison and Samuel to hide in a train car for the next leg of their journey to Canada. Samuel and August return to the house, and Belle says that Harrison is mentally confused. Harrison asks for someone named Belle, but he’s not talking about Belle Henry. He says he ran away with Belle and a baby, but they were caught hiding in some hay because the baby,