Part Eight: Polly Summary

The children run through the woods faster than they've moved during the entire journey. They've stolen Clay's rucksack and inhaled the food he had packed there. That evening, they wade into the river late at night to catch crawdads and are terrified to see that they've been spotted once again, this time by a redheaded teenager fishing in the river. The boy introduces himself and tells them not to bother lying to him; he can see that they're runaway slaves. Instead of turning them in for the reward money, the boy, Nathan, offers to hide them in his barn for the evening, giving them a safe place to sleep tonight. It is clear that he is particularly taken with Polly, and whenever she looks him in the eye, he blushes. Although they're not sure whether or not they can...