t he and Scoggins, after leaving Edmonds and myself,
had retraced their steps to the skirts of Texas; that my horses had not
been taken, as I supposed, by the Indians, but that hired tools of
Edmonds and Scoggins had stolen them. That it was well for me I laid my
money out in horses: had I not done so, they would have murdered me, to
possess themselves of it. He further assured me, that I had been for
three months in the most heartless and desperate region which the
country affords, and among my worst enemies. The negro added, that he
had heard hard letters read concerning me since I was in the country.
That they were written a year before, by certain men belonging to the
same band, whom I knew, but least suspected. One of them lived near
Lawrenceburgh, Indiana; another was Goodrich, the notorious villain to
whom I have alluded in the preceding part of the work.

This negro also told me that Dr. ----, who had been murdered on the
Texan frontier, was himself a member of the Secret Band, and that he was
killed to save many a better man. That he and Scoggins had gone back to
see that the widow and her family were removed; but they found, on
reaching the settlement, she had left. We had learned, moreover, that
when seventy or eighty miles on her journey to her friends', she was
taken sick and died, and that she had lost her youngest child before she
left the settlement. It was further stated that the remainder of her
family were at Little Rock, with a friend of her husband's, who would
provide for them till her family could either send for them, or give
some directions in regard to their disposition.

The negro advised me never to divulge my opinions in relation to the
doctor's death, nor to the history of his family out west. I told him I
did not recollect their names, and therefore could not do so if I would.
He assured me that it was well for me, perhaps, that it was so; and that
it could do me no good if I did. I spoke to the negro about the lively
sympathy which Edmonds had expressed for the family, a few days before I
parted with him; that he had told me, in case he could procure the name
and residence of their friends at the east, he would write them; and
that he had asked me if I remembered them. I told him I did not.

The negro assured me that it was well for me I had been so ignorant on
the subject; Edmonds was only trying me. Had I appeared to have known
any thing, and betrayed any disposition to give publicity