* * * * * _My Dear father_: I seat myself to rite you a few lines to let you know that I am well. I have lernt a good eal a bout what theay Aim to do, theay aim to use James cash as a witness a gainst me and sum of uncle allen Burrow’s folks. Now heare is a man that has bin heare serving his three years in the penitenchery and after his time was out theay warnt willing to turn him loos thin. he is a good man & I think he is all rite. I want you to treat this man rite & give him Plenty to eat and when he Brings me my things then I want you to fix him up all rite. I want you to get uncle Jim to cum with him heare you will have to beare his expences heare and back it will be easy done he can get me eny thing that I want and he wont bee in any danger hardly at all he noes where to put them for me & everything will Bee in a nut shell. Bring me a bout 20 dollars in money & put it with the pistols I want good pistols. I want sum like the one that I had if you can get them of that cind. I want the .45 caliber be shore and get me plenty of catriges He can tell you all a bout me I dont think he will tell you a ly to get the advantage of you I have watch him close evry since I have bin heare i think he will doo what he ses he will do. he has got a family at hom a looking for him & after he dos what he can for me I want you to see him hom all rite. he can tell you how everything is heare and how me & him has got it fixt up. it will haft to bee don after dark. Dont fail to Do this for I no it is all the chance for me if you let this chance pass you may never get a nother as good as this so I feel that my hold life is in your hands dont fail whatever. Yours truley, REUBEN SMITH. Moody had disclosed to the prison officials the proposition of Smith to send these letters out by him, and had been instructed to humor the plot. Meantime the express officials had been notified of Moody’s disclosures, and of the date he would be released, and the letters were thus secured and made important links in the chain of evidence against Smith. CHAPTER XVIII. RUBE BURROW HARBORED IN SANTA ROSA--THE FLOMATON ROBBERY. Santa Rosa County, in which Rube sought refuge from the unflagging pursuit of the detectives, is one of the northwestern counties of Florida, its northern boundary being the Alabama line. Escambia River, whose blue waters are dotted with numerous islets, marks its western limits, and flowing onward into Pensacola Bay, interlocks the many inlets and lakes that indent its shores.