Thursday September 7 1826

I was sitting in the bunk house minding my own business when Duke comes traipsing in the door and plops down on his straw cot.

“Lizzy told me that she heard Massa Edward talking to his nephew Howard, saying that they plans to leave for New Orleans this Saturday. He done bought all the slaves he kin find, and now he just sent his nephew Howard to Lexington to hire some men to help him march us to Maysville to be put on barges on the Ohio River. I hear that he wants to sell damn near the entire lot of us.”

“Oh Lordy, I hates to be on the river.”

“None of us does, but I was talking to Gracie and she says that you have the best chance of getting a hold of keys. The Massa trusts you. Thinks you will just do anything he says.”

“I can’t just take the keys. Massa will know I had took em.”

“You don’t need to take them. Lizzy gave me some wax. All you gotta do is press the keys into the wax. You bring that wax back to me and I can make a copy on the forge,” he says, putting a large ball of beeswax in my hand.

“What makes you think I knows where his keys are?” I was getting scared thinking of getting caught. “Louis, he knows where Massa keeps his keys. Maybe you can ask him.”

“It has to be you Jasper. We can’t trust Louis.”

I shrugged my shoulders and said I would try my best. It scared me to think I might get caught. Massa would beat me or maybe ever hang a worthless old slave like me.

Later that afternoon, Massa Edward calls me into the barn to get his prized Arabian stallion. While I was fetching his horse, Massa Edward says. “So Jasper. This Saturday we are heading off to Maysville and I wants you and Roseberry’s Jim to get all dressed up in the colors of our flag. You gonna be leading our little parade to entertain the local townsfolk. Hopefully you know a lot of songs,” he said, checking to see my reaction.

“Yessum, Massa, I know lots of songs. Snappy tunes to sad dirges,” I said, looking for them keys he sometimes carries on his belt. 

I opened the stall and led his horse to the buggy house. Massa Edward was talking to Howard as I hitched up his horse to the buggy. I watched carefully as he checked up under the seat for something.

“Jasper, if you’re just gonna stand there, go to my office and bring me that box of documents on top of my desk. Now hurry it up, I need to be going right now,” he said, getting in the buggy.

“Yessum, Massa, be right back,” I yells as a runs off towards the main house.  

I runs in the house and Miss Polly and Miss Rachael be talking in the front room. The two of them seemed to be busy doing their crochet.

“Where you headed to all in a hurry, Jasper?” said Miss Polly, holding a needle between her thumb and index finger. Both staring at me with their eyebrows raised.

“Massa Edward sent me to get some papers on his desk. Says he needs them right now ‘cause he’s in a hurry to go to town,” I says all out of breath.

“Oh, I guess we best not keep you then,” she says, as I run towards his office. I sees the box, but I also sees those keys on an iron ring hanging on a hook above his desk. I pulls that wax out of my pocket and presses the two keys to the locks that holds the chains and then put it back on the hook. I grabbed that box and ran out that door. The two women ignore me as I hurries past them.

I get back to the buggy and Massa Edward says, “What took you so long?”

“Miss Polly starts asking me all these questions,” I says looking down at my feet.

“Well, didn’t you tell her you was in a hurry?” he says, raising his voice.

“Yessum, sir, I tried.”

He lets out a groan and a heavy sigh. “Give them here. I need to go,” he says, snapping the reins. “Gettyup!”

I stand there watching as they ride off and smiles real big. 

I heads on over to the forge where Duke be making shoes for the horses. He be sweating and swatting the flies from his face. He looks up and sees me coming.

He looks around, then puts his arm over my shoulder. “Did you find where he keeps the keys?” he whispered.

“Yeah, in his office,” I says, as I pulls out the wax from my pocket.

“Oh Lord, how did you get this?”

“He sent me inside to get some papers and I saw the keys right there hanging on the wall.

“Good job Jasper. When I make these keys. You are gonna keep them hid. We’s counting on you and don’t you be telling no ones.”