William Skiles on oath doth Say that he heard absalom Leggett say he Would not go if he was draughted & further Questions refus’d to anser answer but on a Small deliberation sd. Skiles gave the following testimony Ve th[at] Absalom Legget Informed him that a considerable number of person in B[ertie] Edgcomb & Martin County had agree’d to oppose a Draught and if any person Draughted Should consent to go in the army they would shoot him on the Spot & further that James Sherod & Capt Bell were Cons^c^ern’d ^concern’d^ in the Scheem that Legget had often urg’d him to Join the sd. party and that he understood Jam[es] Sherrard had in his keeping certain Articles of agreement enter’d into by said parties That sd. legget Administred an Oath to him purport of which is as follows That you Shall defend & protect all Draughted & distressed persons or them that are Called tories as far as Lies in pow your power & that he swore him to Keep the Matt[er] Secret and likewise inform’d him that there was a Sign or token observ’d amongst them Which was this (A friend to the party present) a Short Stick with three notches on i[t] On the person receiving ^of^ it asks the Other Why he gives thim that Stick the other Answered for a Sign Says the other a Sign of What (answer) a sign of a word have you the word I have give it me I will letter it with you answer begin first say B 2d, E first T 2d, R first U 2d E (be True) said Skiles further declareth that sd Legget Inform’d him that the strongest party would Sieze first on the Several Magazines and that peleg Belote in form’d him on his Expressing great uneasiness at Joining said party that there was no danger Legget informd him that the Scheem Took its rise in Virginia & was forwarded to Lewellin on Coneter from whence it had extended to South Carolina Haw River & in Short to all the Southern part of the Continent that he understood Capt Bogg approv’d the scheem highly to Sherrard but was Rather fearful of its success that the scheem was handed to Loo Allen about the first of March further Legget told him it was allow’d on all hands that the King would conquer the Country and if there party held together when the Gentlemen was taken there party & the Kings Soldiers Should Shear there Estates & that there was Several persons constantly and Daily riding to encreas there number they have a further Sign Viz In falling in to company or meeting with any person on pointing and Rubing their fore finger of the left hand over the right Arm nose or Chin or Any part of their Body the other person being of their party will ask him what he points at (answers) a secret have you that Secret I have Give it me I did not git it so how shall I git it I will Letter And half it with you begin first Says I the other N the first R the Other I lastly he inform’d if the Matter was discover’d they would Rise & Kill the Gentlemen in the Night that he could not do it himself but that there was maney ^Many^ that would that Legget told him Sometime past that he understood That Coll Buncombe was about to Remove out of the Country and was going to sell off his Estate and that he had a Great Inclination to go down and take his Shear of it, by taking some of his horses &c and further Sayeth not