We traveled for two days very moderately, and, our chief employment was drilling McGrath, how to pray and sing, and give that long Methodist groan, and “Amen.” He having made considerable progress, we went to Natchitoches. McGrath entered that town by one road, and Wages and myself by another. McGrath went among a few of his brethren that evening. To our astonishment it was posted at every corner, that the “Rev. Mr. McGrath, from Charleston, South Carolina, would preach at the Methodist Church that evening, at half-past seven.” We attended church. McGrath took his stand in the pulpit. He made a very genteel apology to his audience, saying he was much fatigued from his travel; that he had caught cold and was very hoarse and could not sing; but he read out the hymn. It was: “Hark from the tombs a doleful sound.” One old brother pitched the tune to Old Hundred, and they all chimed in, Wages and myself among the rest; Wages sang bass and I tenor, and we all made that old church sound like distant thunder. After singing, McGrath made a very good but short prayer; he then took his text in the 16th chapter of St. Mark, at the verse where Mary the mother, and Mary Magdalene found the stone rolled from the door of the sepulchre. “And he said unto them, Be not affrighted; ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified; he has risen; he is not here; behold the place where they laid him.” He read several verses in that chapter, and then made some very good explanations relative to the parables, and prophesies on the coming of the Messiah, and the mysterious way in which he disappeared, and wound up his discourse by telling the audience that he had been a great sinner in his young days, that it had been but a few years since the Lord had called him to preach, and he thanked his God that he was now able and willing to lay down his life upon the altar of God; he then raved, and exhorted all to repent and turn to God; and after raving about half an hour called all his hearers that wished to be prayed for to come forward. The whole congregation kneeled down; he prayed for them all, and finally finished, sang another hymn and dismissed his congregation, and we all retired, Wages and myself to a gaming table, and McGrath with some of his brethren. Next day the members of the church there waited on McGrath to know what was his pecuniary situation. He told them that he was very poor, was on his way to see a rich relation of his, about two hundred miles from there; that he carried his gun to keep off wild beasts, etc. They made up money to buy him a fine suit of black, a new saddle and saddle-bags and fifty dollars in cash. We remained there two days, when McGrath left. Wages and I left by another road. We all met a short distance from town and made the proper arrangement for our operations. McGrath was to go on to the house of this man that had the negroes, and there make what discoveries were necessary. He was to join Wages and myself at San