traitor, no provision has been
made for dissembling. This society is ruled by Nature, as our God!--and
it is the duty of each and every member to do all in his power to
promote the welfare of his Brethren, as, by so doing, he must in time
convince all observers that the Secret Brothers are the only true
Christian sect on earth; and this we, ourselves, individually and
collectively, believe; and we make this manifest, by placing our names
to this scroll, and thereby pledging our fortunes and our lives to
maintain and carry out these principles in all sincerity and truth; and
should we ever offer to take up another faith, and renounce this, may
our prayer-oath be fulfilled to the extent of all its agonies; aye, and
more: we now again doubly pray, that if we ever offer to secede from
this, our religion, that we may thereby seal our immortal state with an
undying existence in a world of torment, prepared for all priestcraft
and treacherous mortals.

* * * * *

The singular circumstances connected with my obtaining these papers, and
the awful obligations contained in the constitution, will prepare the
reader for some strange developments. The constitution, although not
elegantly worded, proves its author to have been a man of uncommon
shrewdness, and knowledge of human nature, and forethought. We may
therefore expect that the plan of operations should be so laid as to
baffle detection by ordinary means. I will try to give some idea of it.

It was necessary that letters should be transmitted from one member to
another, in a distant location, yet the person to whom the letter was
addressed might be miles from a government post-office, and it might not
be safe for him to present himself for a letter, lest he should be
recognised as a desperate man, and letters were liable to be opened and
their desperate projects exposed. To avoid this danger, they established
a line of communication, extending from Toronto, Canada, to New Orleans.
Not precisely direct, but lying through large towns.

On this route were post-offices; consisting of hollow trees, caves,
cavities in rocks, &c. Those who wished to send letters deposited them
here; with full directions. All the "brothers" knew these post-offices;
and when, in their travels, they came near one, were bound to stop, and
examine the letters. If they found letters directed to persons on their
route, they must carry them along. If the letter was directed