Her hair presented the greatest problem. It was so long and thick and heavy that she usually washed it on a warm day, then sat outside and let the sun’s warmth dry it. Now, however, the best she could do was towel it vigorously, plait it into braids and finally wind it into a coronet on the back of her head. As soon as she was finished, she went to the door and made her way down the dark deck. There were no stars, and it was a moonless night. She heard the soft slapping of the waves against the side of the ship and was still so blinded from the light of the lantern in her cabin that she could see almost nothing. Suddenly she bumped into someone and let out a small scream. “Be quiet!” Someone reached out and steadied her in the darkness. “Jeff! Is that you?” Leah whispered. “Yes, it’s me. But we’ve got to be quiet. Those Federal gunboats are just sitting out there listening for us. It’s too dark to see anything, but if they hear us, they’ll send a rocket over our heads.
