dat dis nigger intrude
himself into de affair, and dat bad for Sam. So, sar, propose dat I go
ashore, and dat I go down de bank five or six mile, and dere hide in de
bush. When your ship come down you hoist little white flag, so Sam sure
ob de right ship. If Sam tink de coast am clear he swim off. If you no
see Sam when you get fifteen mile down de riber, den you anchor, and at
night send a boat ashore. Sam come down to it for sure.'

"So de matter was arranged. De captain say he tree more days fill up his
ship, but dat no do for me come on board by daylight because dere would
be a pilot on board. Also he says little white flag no do, pilot tink
him strange, but would tell one ob de men to hang a red shirt, as if to
dry, up in de rigging. At night would show two lights ober de bow for me
to know which was de ship.

"Fust dey bind up de wound on my shoulder, den dey gib me food for four
days and a bottle of rum, and den row me ashore. Den Sam start, and
before morning he hid in de swampy bush ten miles down de riber. He wait
dere two days, den make him way down anoder four miles and dere stop.
Late dat afternoon he see a ship come down de riber wid a red shirt in
de rigging. He go on and on, and jus' as it got dark he anchor two miles
furder down. Sam make his way along through de bush and at last get
facing de ship. At twelve o'clock boat come along bery quiet. Sam
go down and get in. De men say, 'Hush, make no noise. De pilot am as
watchful as a cat. Dey had tied tings round de oars dat dey should make
no noise, and when dey get to de side ob de ship dey lay dem in very
quiet, hook on de tackle and hoist her up. De hatchway were off, and
de men beckon to Sam, and two ob dem go down wid him, and de hatchways
closed down again.

"'I tink we hab tricked him,' one ob de sailors said. 'Dere great row at
New Orleans about de four men found dead dar. Dey come off and inquire
ob de captain ober and ober again. Dey know you missing, and dey find de
kitchen poker lying by de men, and tink you must have had a hand in it.
A thousand dollars reward have been offered, and dey searched de ship
high and low, and turn ober all de cargo. A guard stop on board till de
last ting to see no one come off. When de captain say he anchor de pilot
say no, but de captain say he in no hurry and not going to risk his ship
by sailing at night. Me tink pilot smell a rat, for ebery time he hear
a noise on deck he come out of his cabin and look roun