About the twentieth of November a small steamboat landed (on board were Harden and our two darkies,) which had been specially employed to take our freight. We shipped our freight and took the skiff in tow and put off. On the way up, Wages, Harden and I made the necessary arrangement for our future plan of action. Harden was to go with us to Shreveport, and there feign himself sick; and let Wages and I take our two darkies in the skiff and our freight, and start up the river. Accordingly, we reached Shreveport about the fifth of December, and Harden was taken sick; Wages and I hurried our darkies, loaded our skiff and left for up the river. We went up the river to the ferry we had crossed with McGrath, and there we stopped. I went to selling, sometimes to Indians, sometime to whites, and very often to negroes. Wages procured a horse and saddle and put out in pursuit of McGrath, and found him at the house of the old Methodist that owned the seven negroes we were after. McGrath was sick; had been very sick; but was then able to walk about and take occasional rides. Wages and McGrath got an opportunity to have a private interview for a few minutes. They were to meet the next day on the road, five miles from that place. Wages staid all night, paid his bill next morning and left after breakfast, enquiring for some stray mules. McGrath started for the residence of a brother Methodist, some ten miles distant—and they both met at the place appointed and held their consultation. The negro camp meeting had been already appointed, about ten or twelve miles above Shreveport and about two miles from the river. Wages and McGrath having fully understood how to act, Wages told him where the boat could be found, ten days before Christmas, and they parted, and Wages returned. Accordingly, at the time appointed, McGrath was at the boat. We had him and his horse provided for; he was made acquainted with our two free darkies, and all things were arranged and understood well that night. McGrath left next morning to prepare for the camp meeting, which was to commence in eight days. We loitered away our time; and two days before the commencement of the camp meeting, we dropped our skiff to a landing opposite the camp ground, where we lay trading. We had sold almost everything we had.