I have never clearly understood, but I do know that slaves disappear and are never caught.
I was told white men helped them." "It is accomplished through organized effort by these men--Black Abolitionists, as they are called--haters of slavery.

They are banded together in a secret society for this one purpose and have what they call stations scattered all along at a certain distance apart--a night's travel--from the Mississippi to the Canadian line, where the fugitives are hidden and fed.

The runaways are passed from one station to the next under cover of darkness, and are seldom recaptured.

A station keeper, I am told, is only permitted to know a few miles of the route, those he must cover--the system is perfect, and many are engaged in it who are never even suspected." "And this man, is he one ?" "Yes, a leader; he operates the most dangerous station of all.

The escaping slaves come to him first." "And he passes them on to the next man--do you know who ?" "Only what little Pete told me; the second agent is supposed to be a preacher in Beardstown." She asked no further questions, and after a moment turned away, resting back against the edge of the cockpit with chin cupped in the hollow of her hand.