om to a better hiding place, when he would secure and bring, as soon
as possible, some food to the party from a neighboring house. We
conversed with him a short time, and then left to report progress to our
comrades and conduct them to the appointed place of meeting.

We waited with considerable impatience and some anxiety until long after
the time set by the negro for his coming, and had begun to fear that he
was faithless in the matter, when we heard the footsteps of the man and
the boy, and they soon appeared, giving as their reason for being so
late the fact that they were compelled to cut a certain number of rails
that week, and, this being Saturday night, it had been necessary to work
quite late to complete their task.

They now led us out of the bottom and secreted us in some underbrush on
the high land near the planter's house, then going away to look after
our promised provisions, and taking with them the bucket of raw beans
which we had carried with us, saying they would have them cooked.

This time we waited until fully 11 P. M., when we became conscious of
the approach of several people, and the man soon appeared, followed by a
troop of darkeys. They all seemed glad to see us, and had brought us all
that we could reasonably have asked. The delay had been caused by
stopping to cook some biscuits and steal some sweet potatoes, as well as
to boil our bucket of beans. In addition to these luxuries, they had
brought us a chicken, cooked with the beans, and they all sat around and
talked while we ate a hearty meal, and stowed away what was left for
future use.

We now learned for the first time our exact location, and were directed
how best to proceed.

Mahon had some spare clothes with him, and we made a requisition upon
him for them, that we might trade with our friends for some shoes,
which we did. Having no matches, we tried to secure some, but could
not. A young negro boy said he could fix us better, and produced a
tinder-box made of an old gourd handle and some charred cotton, showing
us how to get fire with a flint and a jack-knife. He got fire so easily
with it that we were enthusiastic, and at once appointed Captain Fee, at
his own earnest request, to be chief of the fire department, the negro
boy turning over to him the flint and tinder-box, which he stowed away
carefully.

After a long and enjoyable talk with these negroes, during which we
became convinced that we could rely upon their people for