If she should fail in getting off that night, she was to try it the next Saturday night.
This was the understanding when we separated.

This we thought was the best plan for her escape, as there had been so much excitement caused by my running away.
The owners of my wife were very much afraid that she would follow me; and to prevent her they had told her and other slaves that I had been persuaded off by the Abolitionists, who had promised to set me free, but had sold me off to New Orleans.

They told the slaves to beware of the abolitionists, that their object was to decoy off slaves and then sell them off in New Orleans.

Some of them believed this, and others believed it not; and the owners of my wife were more watchful over her than they had ever been before as she was unbelieving.
This was in the month of June, 1838.

I left Malinda on a bright but lonesome Wednesday night.