Copper Sun

The three stop to rest in the woods, and for the first time since she moved to Derbyshire Farms, Amari says out loud what her real name is. She also defiantly argues with Polly about heading south for freedom; Polly wants to head north. Amari assumes full responsibility of Tidbit and tells Polly that if she wants to go north alone, she can. “She knew that Polly could make it alone and would certainly find refuge quicker without the presence of two runaway slaves” (208). Surprisingly, Hushpuppy has found them in the woods and lifts Tidbit’s spirits.

As the evening approaches, the three of them stop to rest, and Amari decides that they are too close to the river as they can hear the “laughter of men on boats and slow, sad chants of slaves working in the rice fields nearby” (211). She is convinced of the advice that Cato had given her the night before.

After walking through the night, the three runaways find a place in a thicket to rest. Tidbit asks what the freedom is they’re running to, and Polly answers: “Freedom is a delicate idea, like a pretty leaf in the air: It’s hard to catch and may not be what you thought when you get it” (213). Sensing Tidbit’s loneliness, they tell him he needs to look after Hushpuppy.

Five days into their journey, Amari has to find food from their surroundings. She has learned from Teenie some of the things that can be eaten, and so she brings them some mayapples to eat. However, a few hours later, they all suffer digestive problems; clearly, something they had eaten was not safe to eat. “The three of them spent a day and a night in that area, trying to regain their strength after numerous bouts of diarrhea and vomiting” (216). Believing they need to eat, Amari fashions a spear out of a stick and a sharp rock and is able to catch three large catfish. They eat it raw, Hushpuppy happy to eat the heads and tails. 

Further on their journey, Amari has no more luck catching fish, “the forest had thinned, and hiding places were getting harder” (219). One morning at dawn, Tidbit realizes that Hushpuppy is gone. He is very upset, and the girls reassure him that “a dog can always find the boy he loves” (221). He is gone an entire day and because rain was coming, the travellers have to find a small cave for shelter. Amari starts a fire, “[remembering] her mother doing it” (222). Later that morning, Hushpuppy arrives at the opening of the cave with a large rabbit in his mouth. They all “ate with gusto” (225). Before sleeping, Tidbit says how badly he misses his mother, and Amari understands.

For four nights the runaways travel easily, with renewed strength and enthusiasm from the feast provided by Hushpuppy the night before. “But she was tired—tired of walking, of being uncertain, and of feeling sick all the time” (227). In the dark, someone grabs her wrist, and Polly and Tidbit quickly and quietly step back into the shadows. “She found herself face-to-face with Clay Derby” (228). He tells her it wasn’t hard to find them because her “footprints [were] the size of a horse” (228). He tells her that he has missed her, and once he draws close to Amari, she spits in his face. He slaps her hard. He demands to know where Polly and Tidbit are, and she lies. Clay tells her he is the master of Derbyshire Farms now because his “father died suddenly—not long after [she] ran off” (229), and Clay believes he was poisoned. Just as Clay is threatening to rape Amari, Polly shoots the musket. Rather than killing him, the shot just grazes the side of his head. While he is unconscious, they tie him up. He is coming to consciousness just as they finish tying the ropes. They do a poor job tying them, as he is quickly able to start loosening the knots. However, “just beyond Clay’s thigh, [there is] a large rattlesnake” (231). They steal his knapsack and then run away.