We traveled that night about twenty miles before we came to water, and that was a small creek that scarcely run, and had very little timber land about it. Wages said our safest course would be to conceal ourselves there until he could reconnoitre. We remained there until near daylight, gave our horses water and started. We soon struck the prairie, and again turned to the west and went some two miles along a trail to a piece of woodland, where we again stripped our horses and hampered them to graze. We built a fire and barbecued our meat. Wages then told me and the negro to lie down and sleep, and he would take a look around. I went to sleep, and about twelve or one o’clock Wages awoke me, and when I opened my eyes there was another man with him—a large, dark-skinned, coarse-looking fellow. Wages introduced me to Mr. James; Wages had known Ben James for many years. James then told me that he was settled there for the same business we were in, and that we would be safer with him than by going on; by remaining with him we could rest and refresh ourselves and horses, and that he would go with us to another of our clan, about one hundred miles from San Antonio, where our negro and horses would be safe until we left again for the Mississippi river. This other man’s name was Scott, from Mississippi. James advised us not to sell the negro or horses in Texas; that there were plenty of men in Texas who followed hunting and trailing thieves and robbers, and that they had dogs of the bloodhound breed that would be certain to overtake us if they got after us. We went to James’ place; concealed our horses and negro, and remained with him five days, during which time Wages and I watched the road closely to see if any person passed in pursuit of us, particularly at the ford of the creek. James provided his family with meat and bread for the two weeks trip he intended to make with us. He advised us to leave the main road and go with him to the house of the man Scott. He piloted us through. We traveled the most of the way by night, and arrived at Scott’s the fourth night. After making the proper arrangement with Scott, we sent our horses out in the mountains and the negro to take care of them, with a man that Scott had employed for that purpose, for we understood afterward from James that they always had from one to two hundred head of stolen horses there, which it was the business of this man James to steal and drive and sell. We paid him fifty dollars for piloting us through.