Morning found the three lovers as a sliver of sunlight pierced the shelter and fell upon them. Each smiled broadly as he awoke, each body sticky with cum and sweat and saliva and anal fluids. They laughed when they realized that none of them had kept watch during the night.
They discovered a new ease among them. The touched one another constantly, little pats on the ass or soft touches to one cheek or another, a short caress to the back of the neck or a quick peck on the lips or cheek. They knew that all such behavior must come to a stop if anyone else were around. They had been surprised by sudden appearances of danger several times and Sean insisted they keep a sharp eye out. "If we don't want our gunslinger here leaving a trail of dead bodies all the way to Kay Ro, we'd better keep a sharp eye out!"
Mandigo chimed in with his contribution. "So, what should we call our erstwhile companion? How about 'The Nancy Kid'."
Preston pretended to be offended. But Sean burst into laughter. "Hmm not bad. How about Kid Cocksucker?"
"Aw rite, aw rite 'nuff a dat. Now dat we'uns has all had our little laugh we can show a little respect to da one GUY here who is a real man."
Mandigo was about to reply with a cute quip about certain behaviors of the night before, but thought better of it and held his wit in check.
All three boys felt an increasing sense of urgency now that they had a definite goal for their journey, so they packed up camp rapidly and got on their way. It wasn't long before they began to notice a line of trees in the distnce and before long they came upon a brisk stream flowing in a basically northern direction.
"I wouldn't be surprised if this little creek emptied into the Ohio River somewhere soon," Mandigo said. "Also that means that very soon we are going to start running into people. Maybe a lot of people. I don't expect there is a lot of law and order out this way. There are probably a lot of not so nice people who would kill us for our shoes. And I met at least one Negro down south who was a free man, but was kidnapped in Cairo and sold down south. Pretty soon I will have to be leaving you two for your own and my safety. If we, if you, either or both of you, gets to Cairo, try to look for a free black named little Mike who runs a saloon there. That's where I am going. He helps, uh, men like me get to Chicago. Until then I have to stay pretty much out of sight."
"Nathan, Mandigo," Prest said. Sean and Ah wan you t have some money in case you need it so here is thirty seven dollars in ones and change. Don't be offended or too proud, 'kay. We want you to have it. We uh. . . er. . . kinda lak yah.
Well kind sirs, I could take offense, but I would be acting against my own self -interest, so I will gratefully accept. We shall call this a loan and some day I shall repay you. That way it is a promise that I will see the two of you again."
The next day, as the Ohio drew within sight and the boys began running into other people frequently, Sean and Preston turned to speak to the ex-slave and he had just disappeared. Gone as easily and quickly as he had appeared. They discovered from talking to others they happened upon, that Cairo was still quite a distance to the Southwest. Apparently the river bent far south in this area, and joined the Mississippi at the very Southern tip of Illinois. Heading south made both the boys nervous, but after a time they discovered they could pay for passage aboard a flat boat which would take them to Cairo by the end of the day after next, or they could take a ferry across the river and they would be in Indiana. All they new about Cairo was a few tidbits of hearsay from Nathan, but since they knew absolutely nothing about Indiana, they decided to take the boat and head for Cairo. The old trapper from whom they got their information was careful to warn them that someone might con them or rob them or shoot them at any moment along the way and to sleep with their hands in their pockets and one eye open. They drew a few stares at the beginning, but learned rapidly to rigidly guard against any open show of affection between them. They pitched their little tent for the night and slept fitfully.
By ten the next morning they had staked out a space on the deck of a flat boat that wended its way down river. This would be the first night since they had met that they would not be sleeping side by side and Sean was especially bereaved to not have his naked young lover's body against him in the night. At dockside this morning, the boys had a strange sensation that every person of color was looking at them with a certain unnamed expression, a sort of deference neither could explain. And now on the crowded boat, too, black faces looked knowingly at them for a fleeting second each before disappearing into anonymity.
White folks looked them over, noted the gunman's pistol tied at Preston's thigh and gave them a pass. That night, to secure their belongings, they slept atop the canvas hump that held their rolled up gear. All day they traveled in near silence, only speaking occasionally. Steamboats and side wheelers and rear wheelers and canoes and flatboats passed them in both directions in increasing numbers as the day wore on. In the late afternoon of the second day, they came within sight of the strange place that was Cairo, Illinois. The city seemed to be located in the middle of the river. The Mississippi rolled in a wide semi-circle to the east and the Ohio curled south. And right in the midst of those two circles, sat the bustling, dirty, swampwater town of Cairo. It seemed that the slightest wave would submerge the whole place. It was in the river and on the river and of the river. Once on the dock they set about trying to find lodging. After struggling through the crowded streets of the dock area for about ten minutes, they were accosted by a small young negro of about twelve years. "Sahs, sahs, please sahs I has a message for ya.
"For us," Sean asked? But no one knows us. Who could know we are here?"
"'Scuse me sahs but cud ya please slow dawn. Ise jes a little girl 'n I cain't hardly keep up."
Stopping short, since they were headed no particular place to begin with, the two boys began to speak at once. Sorting it out, Prest finally spoke.
"Lookee here gal. What you mean messin' with a coupla white folks? Now git along home for somebody grabs ya."
"But Suh, I gots a message for ya."
"Ya know me?"
"No suh!"
"Then how dya know da message is fer me."
"Well suh, Lil Mike he say look fer two white men, one what's taller and dark headed, t'other gwan be red in the head and wearing a gun like in the dime books. Ain't that ya'll suh?"
Sean and Preston exchanged glances as if to say 'that could only be from Nathan'.
"Well, gal, don' jes stand der blubberin', tell us da message!"
