“Ever since I got off the first train I always looked pretty sharp at everyone to make out whether they was watchin’ me or not. Then I always got hold of all the newspapers I could find to see if there was anything more about me. I found another Chicago paper in the depot, and it still had my picture and the offer of a thousand dollars reward, and said I must have took one of the freight trains that left the yards, and would most likely be in the south or in the west. I didn’t like to stay there any longer after seein’ that paper, but I managed to fold it up the best I could, and just as quick as I got a chance I tore it to pieces and threw it away. Then I thought mebbe I’d better get back away from the railroad. So I seen an old darkey that looked kind of friendly and I asked him about the country. He told me a good deal about it and I started out to walk to where he said there was some charcoal pits. I found the place and managed to get a chance to work burnin’ wood and tendin’ fires. It was awful black sooty work, but I didn’t care nothin’ about that. The main thing with me was bein’ safe. I had a pardner who worked with me keepin’ up the fires and lookin’ after the pits at night, and it looked kind of nice with the red fires of the pits lightin’ up the woods and ever’thing all ‘round lookin’ just like a picture. When we got through in the mornin’ you couldn’t tell us from darkies, we was so covered with smoke and burnt wood. We boarded in a little shanty with an old nigger lady that fed us on hominy and fried chicken, and we didn’t have much of any place to sleep that was very good.