which the welfare and safety of his country and fellowcitizens so essentially depended.

Hues was now armed with three pistols; one which he had with him when he fell in company with Murrell, a second which he received from Col. Bayliss at Wesley, and a third just presented him by Mr. Champion. He wore a thick Bolivar overcoat, by means of which he was enabled to conceal his new supply of arms, which he deemed of no little importance to him at this critical conjuncture. Mr. Champion suggested to Hues the necessity of much caution, and urged the great uncertainty and danger of the almost desperate experiment which he was about to make. He spoke to him of the fatal consequences of miscarriage, but not without representing to him also the possibility of success, and the interesting and brilliant results that would reward his efforts. They parted, and Hues hastened to rejoin his companion at the log. They were soon again on their journey. After much difficulty and toil they succeeded in crossing the sloughs that embarrassed their way, and reached the house of Mr. Erwin, distant about three miles, as had been represented by Mr. Champion, where they learned the skiff Mr. E. had been using was a borrowed one, and had been returned to its owner, who lived still three miles lower down the river; and between whose residence and Mr. Erwin's there was a lake of considerable size, which they had no present means of crossing. They were compelled to stop at the house of Mr. Erwin, where they concluded to linger till some trading-boat or other craft should pass, in which they might obtain a conveyance beyond the lake to the

house of Mr. Hargus, at which, they had been told, they would find the skiff. While with Mr. Erwin, Hues and his companion indulged comparatively but little conversation of a private nature, as they had not the advantage of a private room. Murrell, however, was by no means idle; he was engaged, as had been his wont on such occasions, in learning the character of Mr. Erwin, and obtaining his views in regard to a subject that, more deeply than all others, interested him and engaged his thoughts. As at Mr. Champion's, here also he spoke of himself as a negro-trader : nor did his manly address and captivating demeanour fail of finding ready access to the credulity and confidence of his landlord. Mr. Erwin proposed to contract with him for three negro men, to be delivered within three weeks, to which Murrell readily assented, offering them at the price of six hundred dollars each. The terms suiting Mr. Erwin, they proceeded to close the bargain, so far as they could, till delivery was made of the negroes. This was more than Hues could suffer to pass unnoticed: he sought, as early as practicable, a private conversation with Mr. Erwin, and acquainted him with the character of Murrell, and his own business with him; and solicited, as he had done of Mr. Champion, his assistance, should his situation require it, which he most readily promised to afford him.

Hues carried a blank-book in his pocket, from which he tore small pieces, on which he had kept a record of Murrell's plans and confessions as he progressed in his dark narrative. His object in tearing the book into pieces so small was to avoid the suspicion of

Murrell; for he knew that nothing could escape the ever-vigilant glance of his keen and searching eye. While riding, as he could not then conveniently make use of the pieces from his blank-book, he frequently wrote the proper names of individuals, and places, and the more prominent incidents, on his boot-legs, saddleskirts, finger-nails, and portmanteau, with a needle. This was done with a view to aid his memory, when, on stopping to dine or call for lodgings, he proceeded to record a more enlarged account of what he had heard on the scraps from the blank-book, which, as they were filled and numbered, were successively deposited with care in the crown of his cap, through a hole which he had made with his knife for the purpose. While at Mr. Erwin's, Hues availed himself of the opportunity of reducing to writing all that he had heard during their journey from Mr. Champion's, and arranging his other memoranda in such order as to be understood whenever he should have occasion to use them. In this ingenious and cautious manner Hues succeeded in keeping a correct journal of all that occurred during his disagreeable and dangerous wanderings with John A. Murrell.

They were at Mr. Erwin's house until the next afternoon (30th), when a small trading-boat landed at the wood-yard, on which they secured a passage as low down on the river as Mr. Hargus's landing.

It was late in the afternoon when they landed at the house of Parson Hargus, who offered them, as their only chance, a conveyance over the river in an old canoe, which, having long been unused, was much in want of repair. This circumstance, though at first

discouraging, was in the end of great advantage to Hues; for, while Murrell was employed in calking the boat, he sought an interview with Mr. Hargus, and apprized him of the character of his guest, and his own reason for being in his company. For he had heard the most favourable accounts of the character of Mr. H., both from Mr. Champion and his late landlord Mr. Erwin, and therefore felt no hesitation in intrusting to him so important a secret. It was long after nightfall before Murrell had finished his repairs on the boat, which made it necessary to postpone crossing the river till morning; they accordingly sought lodgings with Mr. Hargus.

CHAPTER V.

On the following morning of January 31st, Murrell and Hues were early at the landing, and making arrangements for launching their boat. But a gathering storm timely suggested to them the prudence of delay. They accordingly wisely determined to await the return of fair weather; for the frail bark in which they found themselves obliged to take passage (at best of doubtful safety) was poorly calculated to live amid the buffetings of wind and waves. It was not long ere a violent storm of wind, accompanied by a heavy fall of snow, which lasted all day and the following night, reminded them of the danger they had escaped.

Murrell became very impatient, and his impatience (almost amounting to irritation) appeared to increase with the storm; for he would frequently break forth in oaths, and swear that "the devil had ceased to cut his cards for him ;" and insist that "the d- -d old preacher's negroes had cost him more trouble and perplexity than any he had ever before stolen." In the midst of all his excitement, however, he never once so far forgot himself as to let fall one imprudent word in presence of his landlord. On the contrary, his conversation was studiously turned on those subjects which he deemed most consonant to his feelings. He dwelt with peculiar emphasis and animation on the great advantages of a moral and religious education, and the happy effects of a general diffusion of religious intelligence.

He often expressed to Hues much curiosity as to what steps young Henning was probably taking towards the recovery of the negroes; as frequently wishing that he might meet him over in Arkansas; and declared that he would give five hundred dollars for the opportunity it would afford him of punishing his officiousness ; and said that he was not satisfied with stealing his negroes; and mentioned a plan that he had already set on foot for bringing him to feel more sensibly the consequences of the free use he had been making of his and his brother's name; which plan consisted of an arrangement he had made with a number of his friends, headed by one of the prominent leaders of his clan (Eli Chandler), to go to Henning's house some night, take him from his bed, and "give him two hundred and fifty lashes." And as he