up the rear. I thought it was perhaps a plan to push me off, and claim it to have been an accidental fall on my part, as in all probability such a fall would have killed me instantly; but to have shown any fear or suspicion of them at that time would have been fatal to the character I was assuming, therefore I agreed to the proposition, and we started out in the order named with a full determination on my part that if I went over one of them should accompany me. After walking some distance we stopped and held another parley in which they came out and frankly told me that I could go no further; that if I was not a Mormon Elder myself, people would take me for such, traveling afoot as I was, and I would be killed as the others had been; that the whole country was ablaze with excitement, that the killing of Gibbs and Berry was a justifiable act, as they had been seducing all the women they had baptized, etc., and the Mormons must be rooted out. If I chose I might go back but I could not proceed. I laughed at what they said and told them if I was liable to be killed for a Mormon preacher I would stay with them a few days until the present excitement was allayed, or perhaps I might get a job of work in their neighborhood as I was not particular if I secured employment of some kind. After some further talking they said I might proceed but to go by the way of Hoenwall instead of Cane Creek. I thanked them for the suggestion and we separated, I to resume my journey, and they to resume their watch for some Mormon Elder (B. H. Roberts, I presume) who would be bold enough to try to reach his friends on Cane Creek.

When I reached Buffalo River I was at a loss just which way to go, as the road was not at all familiar, I having traveled it but once before, and that in the winter when there were no leaves on the trees; and I dared not make enquiries, for be it remembered that I had been warned to go by the way of Hoenwall, and should some party be still watching to see if I followed the suggestion, and find that I did not intend to do so, I might not be allowed to proceed. But I knew enough of the country to know that I was not more than four or five miles from Cane Creek, and so turned aside in the woods to wait until darkness came to hide me, as I did not dare to go farther in daylight. When night had come I started out again and selecting what seemed to me to be the best route or trail, I

proceeded very cautiously, and at about eleven o'clock came to a little creek that seemed somewhat familiar to me on account of its peculiar looks. It was named Slippery, and flowed into Cane Creek as I remember about two miles below Brother Condor's house. I followed this creek down until it came to the larger creek (Cane) and then I knew where I was. I can assure you I felt much better than when rambling through the woods uncertain as to whether I would come to the proper place or not. I now proceeded quietly up the creek until I came to the house of Brother Talley, and thought it would be a good idea to wake him up, and get him to go to Brother Condor's with me, or at least to give me some information of the true condition of affairs so I might know just how to proceed. So I knocked at the door and his dogs barked around me, (as only southern dogs can bark) and made noise enough to have wakened any one, but I could get no reply to my knocking. I told them who I was, what I wanted of them, and asked that I might be allowed to come in and at least talk with them, but all to no avail. I could get nothing from them although I could hear them at times whispering among themselves. Not daring to remain in argument too long for fear of being overheard by some one else, I finally left just as wise as when I came, with this conviction firmly settled in my mind, that they dared not come to the door for fear of being killed. I learned afterwards that this was the case; they thought it was the mob trying to test their loyalty to the Elders, and felt if they opened the door to let in a supposed Mormon Elder they would all be killed.

From Brother Talley's I went on up the creek to the Condor homestead, my experience having convinced me that it would be a useless waste of time to try to wake any one else to go with me. Arriving at the house, I saw a glimmer of light underneath the door and heard an indistinct murmur of voices inside. You may remember a large stump just outside the gate. I got behind this to be protected from stray shots from the house should I again be mistaken for a mobocrat by some unseen watcher inside, who might be rendered desperate by what had been suffered by the family. I then threw a handful of gravel against the door to attract attention, when immediately all became quiet inside. I now went to the door and told them who I was and asked to be admitted. A wom

an's voice then replied and told me to go away, that I had caused enough suffering already there to satisfy the fiends of the infernal regions. That the Elders had been killed, the two sons of the family as well, and the aged mother now lay wounded seriously and might die at any time, and she begged me to go away and leave them alone. But I had come too far to be out-argued this time, and boldly told them that I would not do it; I was not a mobocrat, but what I claimed to be, and insisted on giving details of my visit to them in the previous winter to substantiate what I said. By this time Brother Condor, who had been asleep up stairs, had been awakened, and came down and began to talk to me, recognized my voice and let me in. On entering all were glad to see me for a minute and then fear came over them. Brother Condor said the roads were all guarded and the mob would know I had come in and would soon be there, and I would be killed and perhaps some of them as well. In fact I never saw people so badly frightened as they were, and also the kind neighbors who were sitting up with Sister Condor. But I told them there was no danger; that I had been very careful, and in coming down Slippery Creek (which Brother Condor said was guarded) not even a dog had barked at me. I wanted to know just how matters stood, who was killed and who was wounded, and all connected with it. Then they told me, the first facts I had received. That Elders Gibbs and Berry and the two boys were all killed and had been buried; that Elders Jones and Thompson were unharmed and safe among friends; that my visit could do no good and they were anxious for my safety and wanted me to go as soon as I would. I had had nothing to eat since early in the morning and it was now one o'clock in the night; so they prepared me something to eat, and a lunch to take with me, and after staying just one hour at their house, I left. I will not give the details of the killing of the Elders as told me there, as you are fully acquainted with them. But I will say that when I fully understood that all was done that had been done, the dead buried, the others unharmed and in a place of safety, I felt to leave the enemies' country as soon as possible. I will say for Brother Condor, although he felt very bad, yet his faith in the Gospel was not weakened by what he had passed through; he acknowledged the hand of the Lord in his bereavement. His wife,

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who was propped up in bed smoking a cob pipe, did not seem so resigned as he did; but I could overlook that in her, suffering as she was both in body and spirit. Brother Condor insisted that in going away I should follow no road or path for fear of being captured by the mob. The moon was just rising above the tree tops when I bade them all good-by at the house. Brother Condor went a short distance with me to the edge of the timber, and then in parting told me to keep my face in the direction of the moon, and in about four miles I would come to the Buffalo River somewhere near the old railroad bridge, and as I knew the track was on my left, I need not get lost.

I need not tell you of my journey in the night through that four miles of woods, with neither road nor path to guide me; of the briers and brambles I came in contact with; the fallen trees to clamber over; the thickets to penetrate; and last but not least, the dew that soaked through my clothes and wet me to the skin, and made my boots, which were new and unbroken, draw my feet up till I could hardly walk. Suffice it to say that just as day was dawning I came to the river, close to the bridge. Hunters were out hunting game with their hounds. I could hear the dogs baying in all directions, and the road to the bridge ran through a lane for about a mile, with farm houses close on either side. I did not know just what to do; to go ahead would mean, perhaps, discovery by some one not friendly, and my appearance, to say the least, would excite suspicion; and to remain concealed for a whole day and wait till night did not suit me, because I knew Elder Robinson and my friends on Blue Creek would be full of anxiety for my safety. While hesitating just what course to pursue, one of those heavy river fogs suddenly settled down on the scene before me and seemed almost to have come on purpose for my benefit. I hastily pulled off my wet boots, and with one in either hand I struck the railroad ties in my stocking feet like a professional tie counter, only I went on the double quick. I could hear the people talking while doing their chores, sometimes but a few rods from me, but I passed through the lane and across the bridge unchallenged and unobserved; and worn out, I plunged into the woods on the other side to rest for a short time. I will say that the fog only lasted long enough for me to get into the woods, and then rose,

and the morning came on as beautiful as bright sun shine could make it. I had now walked steadily for nearly twenty-four hours, and thought to get a little sleep before resuming my journey; but anxiety was too great on my mind. I could not close my eyes; my thoughts kept wandering from my present situation to the Elders in the field, and what effect the murdering of them would have among the people, and I thought of their families at home, and kindred subjects connected therewith, until I gave up all idea of sleep and concluded to go on. I now made the discovery that my feet were swollen so badly that I could not get my boots on, pull hard as I could, so I took my knife and split them open in front and succeeded in getting them on in that way.

Resuming my journey, I had not gone far when in turning a curve in the road I was suddenly brought to a stand-still by three men stepping out of the woods in my path, and I realized that I was again hailed as a suspicious character. Although these men were, neither of them, the ones whom I had met the previous day, they were fully posted in relation to the interview that occurred at that time and boldly charged me with either being a Mormon or a spy, and asked my reasons for returning so quickly, instead of proceeding further south as I claimed was my intention the day before. I replied that I was unfortunate enough to be compelled to travel on foot because I had no money to travel otherwise; that I found the people very much excited over the event that had lately occurred on Cane Creek, and a fear of being mistaken for a Mormon, who I understood always went on foot, had caused me to hesitate on the risks to be run; and further that walking had used me up; that my feet were so badly swollen that I could scarcely travel and had been obliged to cut my boots to accommodate them (which fact showed for itself); and that I had concluded to go back home and let cotton picking go for the present. Now, whether my experience of the day before had enabled me to get up a better line of defense to justify my proceedings, or whether these men were less suspicious than the others, I do not know. But I succeeded with less difficulty than upon the other occasion in maintaining the character I had assumed. Finally with many admonitions of caution lest I be taken for a Mormon, they allowed

me to proceed. My walk from there to Centerville was uneventful.