oing on around me. I at length determined to make an
excursion to several of the large Southern cities, to ascertain, if
possible, whether I would be followed. Before leaving, I wrote to the
agent of Jones's Express, at Galveston, assuming the name of W. A.
Jackson, and directed him to send my trunk to Natchez. I started out on
my trip and visited Atlanta, Chattanooga, Nashville and Memphis. I
scanned the passengers who came on board or left the trains, all the
guests who 'put up' at the various hotels where I stopped on my journey,
but could not discover a sign of a detective. By the time that I got to
Memphis I knew I was not followed, and so took the steamer 'John Walsh,'
intending to get off at Natchez, gain possession of my trunk, which must
have reached there, and go on down the river to New Orleans. When I
reached Natchez, I enquired of the agent of Jones's Express whether he
had a trunk for W. A. Jackson, shipped from Galveston, Texas. He
examined his book and said that he had not received such a trunk, but
that possibly it had been sent and detained in the New Orleans office. I
was now in a quandary; I was afraid to go to New Orleans and ask for the
trunk, as I knew the Adams and Jones's Express occupied the same office
in that city. Could it be possible that the company had suspicions of
the trunk and were holding it as a bait to draw me out? No! it was not
possible! Still, I did not care to go to the office and ask for the
trunk, as some one would be sure to know me, and my claiming a trunk as
W. A. Jackson would be proof positive to them that something was wrong
about it. They would seize and search it, and then my guilt would be
apparent. I finally determined to go to New Orleans, put up at the City
Hotel, and then carelessly drop into the office of the company and see
if I could discover the trunk lying around. I did so, and on coming into
the office was immediately recognized by the employes, some of whom were
glad to see me. I did not stay long; glanced around, saw the trunk was
not there, and returned to the hotel.

"I wanted to find whether the trunk had gone on to Natchez, so I wrote
a note, asking whether a trunk directed to W. A. Jackson, Natchez, was
in their possession or had been forwarded to its destination, and signed
it W. A. Jackson. I then walked out of the hotel, limping as if so lame
as to be scarcely able to walk, and met a colored boy standing on the
corner. I hired him to take the note t