than a Spaniard. I stopped in a village, and passed as
a doctor, and commenced practising medicine. I could ape the doctor
first-rate, having read Ewel, and several other works on primitive
medicine. I became a great favorite of an old Catholic; he adopted me as
his son in the faith, and introduced me to all the best families as a
young doctor from North America. I had been with the old Catholic but a
very short time before I was a great Roman Catholic, and bowed to the
cross, and attended regularly to all the ceremonies of that persuasion;
and, to tell you the fact, Hues, all the Catholic religion needs to be
universally received, is to be correctly represented; but you know I
care nothing for religion. I had been with the old Catholic about three
months, and was getting a heavy practice, when an opportunity offered
for me to rob the good man's secretary of nine hundred and sixty dollars
in gold, and I could have got as much more in silver if I could have
carried it. I was soon on the road for home again; I stopped three weeks
in New Orleans as I came home, and had some high fun with old Mother
Surgick's girls.

"I collected all my associates in New Orleans at one of my friend's
houses in that place, and we sat in council three days before we got all
our plans to our notion; we then determined to undertake the rebellion
at every hazard, and make as many friends as we could for that purpose.
Every man's business being assigned him, I started for Natchez on foot.
Having sold my horse in New Orleans with the intention of stealing
another after I started, I walked four days, and no opportunity offered
for me to get a horse. The fifth day, about twelve o'clock, I had become
very tired, and stopped at a creek to get some water and rest a little.
While I was sitting on a log, looking down the road I had come, a man
came in sight riding a good-looking horse. The very moment I saw him I
determined to have his horse if he was in the garb of a traveler. He
rode up, and I saw from his equipage that he was a traveler. I arose
from my seat and drew an elegant rifle pistol on him, and ordered him to
dismount. He did so, and I took his horse by the bridle, and pointed
down the creek, and ordered him to walk before me. We went a few hundred
yards and stopped. I hitched his horse, then made him undress himself,
all to his shirt and drawers, and ordered him to turn his back to me. He
asked me if I was going to shoot him. I ordered him th