plans out to a letter, riding all night and until about 9:00 o’clock the 
next morning before we reached home. Of course we were tired 
and hungry and very sleepy, so we fed our horse and laid down for 
a good sleep. About noon mother called us to have some dinner. 
When the folks asked if Jim was bound out we both assured them 
that he was not, that Cindy, his mother, was dead and he was a free 
nigger. 
That afternoon we took our horse to the pasture and on our 
return to the house we threw ourselves down beneath some large beech 
trees to rest and in a few minutes we were both fast asleep. 
When Ezell awoke the morning following our escape he soon dis¬ 
covered that Jim was missing and immediately concluded that I had 
stolen him, so, as soon as he had finished his breakfast he saddled 
his horse and started for my father’s. He soon gathered enough in¬ 
formation on the way to assure himself that I had Jim, so he rushed 
his horse and made several relays of horses during the day and arrived 
in our neighborhood about 3 :00 P. M. 
As he rode along the country road, near our place, he noticed us 
lying under the beech trees near the road and as he drew a little 
closer he confirmed his belief that it was Jim and I, so he drew up 
to the side of the road, quietly shook Jim to awaken him and made 
him climb up behind him on the horse, being careful all the time not 
to awaken me. He rode to the house and told mother that the nigger 
was bound to him, and that I had known it and had simply stolen him. 
A little before night I woke up to find Jim missing, thinking he 
had strolled on toward the house, I got up and happily started for 
home, thinking of the good hunts in store for Jim and I. 
Upon reaching the house I immediately asked for Jim, did mother 
know where he was? 
‘‘Yes,” she said angrily, “Ezell came and taken him. You lying 
rascal, you knew Jim was bound out; your father will attend to you 
when he comes home.” 
At least I felt a little relief at the fact that she was leaving the 
punishing for dad, knowing that if he had it to do it wouldn’t be 
such a bad case, but if my mother was to do it I would get an old 
time thrashing. 
After this little incident I -was very sad and lonely, for several 
months, as I had planned so many things for Jim and 1, and I loved 
my nigger and would have risked my life for him—but this was a 
circumstance over which I had no control, I could do nothing. I have 
not seen Jim from that day to this. 
— 6 — 
