Whenever I got hold of an old letter that had been thrown away, or a piece of white paper, I would save it to write on.  I have often gone off in the woods and spent the greater part of the day alone, trying to learn to write myself a pass, by writing on the backs of old letters; copying after the pass that had been written by Whitfield; by so doing I got the use of the pen and could form letters as well as I can now, but knew not what they were.

The Deacon had an old slave by the name of Jack whom he bought about the time that he bought me.  Jack was born in the State of Virginia.  He had some idea of freedom; had often run away, but was very ignorant; knew not where to go for refuge; but understood all about providing something to eat when unjustly deprived of it.

So for ill treatment, we concluded to take a tramp together.  I was to be the pilot, while Jack was to carry the baggage and keep us in provisions.  Before we started, I managed to get hold of a suit of clothes the Deacon possessed, with his gun, ammunition and bowie knife.  We also procured a blanket, a joint of meat, and some bread.

We started in a northern direction, being bound for the city of Little Rock, State of Arkansas.  We travelled by night and laid by in the day, being guided by the unchangeable North Star; but at length, our provisions gave out, and it was Jack’s place to get more.  We came in sight of a large plantation one morning, where we saw people of color, and Jack said he could get something there, among the slaves, that night, for us to eat.  So we concealed ourselves, in sight of this plantation, until about bed time, when we saw the lights extinguished.

During the day we saw a female slave passing from the dwelling house to the kitchen as if she was the cook; the house being about three rods from the landlord’s dwelling.  After we supposed the whites were all asleep, Jack slipped up softly to the kitchen to try his luck with the cook, to see if he could get any thing from her to eat.

I would remark that the domestic slaves are often found to be traitors to their own people, for the purpose of gaining favor with their masters; and they are encouraged and trained up by them to report every plot they know of being formed about stealing any thing, or running away, or any thing of the kind; and for which they are paid.  This is one of the principal causes of the slaves being divided among themselves, and without which they could not be held in bondage one year, and perhaps not half that time.

I now proceed to describe the unsuccessful attempt of poor Jack to obtain something from the female slave to satisfy hunger.  The planter’s house was situated on an elevated spot on the side of a hill.  The fencing about the house and garden was very crookedly laid up with rails.  The night was rather dark and rainy, and Jack left me with the understanding that I was to stay at a certain place until he returned.  I cautioned him before he left me to be very careful—­and after he started, I left the place where he was to find me when he returned, for fear something might happen which might lead to my detection, should I remain at that spot.  So I left it and went off where I could see the house, and that place too.