Runaway (choose your own adventure

chapter nineteen - keep on the path.

On the route to Canada starting with Maryland it is approximately eight-hundred miles and at an average of 3 miles of walking a day for the average person, it would take around two-hundred and sixty-six days to walk from Maryland to Canada. Bout 4,200 slaves had gone to Canada by 1834.

I have to stay on the railroad. It would take much to long to walk to Canada without food, or much rest. I had the time and with the help of conductors, who usually owned horses, I could go five times the distance in a day. I must have hope, hope is my drive, hope is my reason, hope is my guide. 

The journey is long, but I have hope. I have run into slave catchers, but I have hope. My feet can get tired, but I have hope. With hope, I can wait. With hope, I can escape. With hope, I can continue. And that is just what I'll do.

All the walking, running and escaping had gotten me into a strong figure. A body that could take the run. So I could go farther. I learned in some of the stations that I went to. I learned to read and write, I learned to add and subtract. On my way to sweet freedom, I met friends, I met foes, but I was met with a challenge and I accepted. I could make it to Canada, from there if I could do that, there is not a single doubt in my mind that I can make it anywhere. bouncing from wagon to path to house. from horse to path to wagon to house to path. On and on I went. I met scary things. I faced a slave catcher, but he was young, and had quite a large ego on him. He challanged me to a duel. fity paces. ten paces. twenty paces I turn. Thirty paces. I cock. fourty paces. I shoot. Fourty one. I miss. Fourty. I run. 

Through the lessons, through the challenges I never gave up because of the spark of hope. A gift given from god, a gift given to me. I learned to read with eyes, write with ink, paint with charcoal, shoot with bullets, but the most important lesson I have learned, is that with hope, and courage you can do anything. If you put in the effort and leave out the doubt, if you stay with hope, success will stay with you. and accross the border, in a cold little house. You will find a man who knows this lesson. 

And that is me.

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