For some time I had been thinking of wiring home for money and that day I thoroughly made up my mind to do so. Strolling up the street I walked into the telegraph office and advised the young lady in charge that I wanted to send a telegram, charges C. O. D. She informed me that a telegram could not be sent without a deposit for she did not know me, and that the telegram might not be accepted at the other end and she would therefore have to pay for the message herself. I assured her that the message would be accepted, but could not convince her. Half the day I spent in trying to get work but at every attempt, I was discouraged. That afternoon I made twenty-five cents in a local newspaper office turning the big wheel while the editor of the local _Bugle_ fed the press. This quarter was my salvation, and after finishing my work I sallied forth to the telegraph office and planked over my money. The young lady promptly dispatched a message for me which was worded as follows: Want to return home badly. Please wire money. JACK. Night soon came, and I sought a lumber yard down by the wharf. I crawled up in the lumber pile and made my bed for the night. I did not sleep much, for I was thinking of home, how good a nice warm bed would feel and how glad they would all be to see me after months of separation. The next morning I received twenty-five dollars and made ready to depart for home. I inquired of the ticket agent what my fare would be, and he told me "twenty-one dollars." This money looked too good to me to spend so foolishly, since traveling freight was so easy, I decided to hold the coin and ride cheaper. I caught a train out of there that morning, and at ten o'clock that night I arrived safely in Jacksonville after a rough ride on the rods of a freight. I went down to the docks and found one of the Clyde line steamers loading for Charleston. While the negroes were busily engaged in loading the freight I hid myself in the bottom and there awaited its departure. My hiding place was between some big boxes, and I knew I would not be discovered till after the ship had left port, so, feeling comfortably safe, I dropped off to sleep. When I awoke we were steaming northward. Just as I crawled from my hiding place one of the crew saw me and let forth an oath. He grabbed me by the nape of the neck and hauled me bodily up to the foreman who was standing nearby. I did not attempt to resist at all, for he was a great, big, ugly devil and I was not going to take any chances on being disfigured at that time. The mate could do nothing more than set me to work, so to work I bent, and it certainly was over hard. From the time they caught me till we arrived in Charleston I worked like a slave, scrubbing decks.