worth of ready-made clothing, and a draught on Thomas Hudnold, of Madison county, State of Mississippi, for seven hundred dollars, which is as good as gold-dust, though he has to sue for the draught; but the recovery is sure-for they can never get the negro, and without him they can never prove that he was Eason's negro, and he will recover the amount of the draught in spite of them. Hudnold became suspicious that they got the negro again, and wrote to the house on which the draught was drawn to protest it. They did not act in that matter as the elder brother, the old fox, would have done though, for young hands, they made a fine drag. They did not go immediately on and draw the cash, as one of them should have done; but delayed, trying to make more sales, and delayed too long before the draught was presented. That is twenty-eight hundred dollars he sold Eason's negro for, and now has the negro in Texas in the hands of a friend: they did not make the disposition of Sam which they generally do with negroes on such occasions; he is too fine a fellow and I think they will make more money on him when things get a little still. Sam is keen and artful, and is up to any thing that was ever wrapped in that much negro hide. If Eason had got on his track and caught him, he could not have done any thing with him."

S. "I cannot see how he would have evaded the law in that instance."

M. "It is a plain case, sir, when the law is examined by a man who understands it. In the first place, the negro had run away, and had escaped from Eason's possession; and, in the second place, Eason had

offered a reward for his negro to any man who would catch him. This advertisement amounts to the same, in virtue, as a power of attorney, to take his property, and act for him to a certain extent; so you see the advertisement is a commission to take the property into possession; now, if the holder of the property chooses to make a breach of the trust which the advertisement confides in him, and, instead of carrying the negro to the owner, converts him to his own use-this is not stealing, and the owner can only have redress in a civil action for the amount of his property: and as for a civil action, they care nothing for that, for they will not keep property. Their funds are deposited in a bank that belongs to their clan. This is the way his ingenuity perplexes them. He has sifted the criminal laws until they are no more in his hands than an old almanack, and he dreads them no more. But what is it that he cannot do with as many friends as he has, who are willing to be subject to him and his views in all things? there lies his power: : his great talent in governing his clan. He is universally beloved by his followers."

S. "Such a man as that, placed in a situation to make a display of his talents, would soon render the name and remembrance of an Alexander or a Jackson little and inconsiderable when compared with his own; he is great from the force of his own mental powers, and they are great from their station in the world, in which fortune more than abilities has placed them."

Here, for the first time, Mr. Stewart observed his encomiums on the character of this marvellous elder brother reach the modesty of Murrell. Hitherto they

had produced no other perceptible effect than to stimulate his vanity-a quality with which nature seems liberally to have endowed him. But when he heard himself held in flattering comparison with characters so distinguished, he could not suppress an involuntary blush that momentarily mantled his countenance.

Mr. Stewart had now both discovered Murrell's accessible point, and how far it might be taken advantage of a very important step, indeed, towards the accomplishment of his purpose.

We copy below Thomas Hudnold's certificate regarding the deception practised upon him in the purchase of Mr. Eason's negro alluded to above :

"State of Mississippi, Madison County.

66

I do hereby certify to all whom it may concern, that that part of the narrative entitled 'The Western Land-Pirate,' which gives an account of a negro man who was stolen from William Eason, of Alabama, and sold to me in this county, and restolen from me within a few nights thereafter, and whom I have never heard of since, is strictly correct.

"Given under my hand and seal this 3d day of August, 1835. [Sealed.]

"THOMAS HUDNOLD."

Mr. Stewart and his companion had now reached the valley of Poplar Creek. It was growing late in the afternoon-the sun was just sinking behind the hills of the west-unseen by them, except as its ruddy light was reflected from the icy tops of the beautiful growth of poplars that imbowered their pathway. "This is a beautiful scene," said Murrell, "and continues through the valley, which, when we have passed, a

good road will conduct us on to the house of my old friend." While they were yet in the valley, and admiring the growth of young poplars that seemed to wave in triumphant pride and power over a region that had been once desolated by some hurricane of past years, the twilight of evening closed over them.

To Mr. Stewart, all that he had heard and seen seemed now to take the air of mystery--he could scarce realize that he had been travelling with, and listening to, the conversation of a human being like himself; and that what had passed was not all a dream. Imagination had wellnigh led him to fancy himself directed by a superhuman power, and that some dread fatality hung over his destiny. All the goblin-tales of his childhood crowded upon his recollection, and filled him with emotions of doubt, uncertainty, apprehension. A thousand images of terror flitted before his bewildered imagination. The house of Murrell's friend might be the place where would be acted the tragic scene of his immolation and robbery-and that friend might be a co-actor. These, and many other ideas equally fearful (which can better be imagined than described), crossed the mind of Mr. Stewart as he and his mysterious companion still pursued their journey under the thickening shadows of approaching night. Meanwhile they had left the valley some hundred yards behind them, and, seeing an old log burning by the roadside, Murrell proposed to Mr. Stewart to make a halt and warm themselves; he consented, and they dismounted from their horses. Mr. Stewart began now to be awakened to the reality of his situation by the numb

ness which enchained his limbs-he found some difficulty in walking from his horse to the fire. In a short time he was considerably relieved. Mr. Stewart began now to revolve more fully in his mind the chances of meeting Mr. Henning's negroes at the house of Murrell's friend their recognition of him, and the consequent hazard of his life: reflections by no means encouraging. Still he determined to risk the adventure, stimulated as he was by the almost desperate hope of being able in such an event to reclaim the

capture the rogue.

negroes and

"You appear very cold, my young friend," said Murrell to his companion, as they were seated by the fire; "I fear you are frosted; you can't stand it like me I have undergone enough to kill a horse. We will remain where we are till the fair queen of night favours us with her silver beams, which will light us to a more hospitable lodging. Did you ever travel much by moonlight?"

Stewart. "Not much, sir."

Murrell. "Then you have not the same love for her silver beams as an old veteran in mysteries. I would suppose that you are too young to be of much experience in the practical part, though you are well skilled in the theory; but you will find many difficulties to surmount in the execution of plans which you have never thought of; you will learn to suffer privations of all kinds to the greatest extent. These privations and difficulties, when surmounted, are what constitute the glory of an old veteran and prominent actor."

Murrell and his companion spent some half hour at the old log, indulging the most free and unrestricted