IN THE DAYS OF 
 BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 BY 
 
 ARTHUR THOMAS 
 
 BROADWAY PUBLISHING CO. 
 
 835 BROAD WAY, NEW YORK 
 
Copyright, 1914, 
 
 BY 
 
 ARTHUR THOMAS 
 
Affectionately dedicated to 
 MY MOTHER 
 
In the Days of Brigham Young 
 
 PART I 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 MUCH has been said and written of the Mormons, 
 of their life, habits, pernicious political activity, of 
 the institution of plural marriage, and the cunning, 
 unscrupulous methods by which they have fostered 
 and kept alive that institution. Some that has been 
 said and written is true ; much of it false ; and most 
 of in inaccurate. This book is a true story of my 
 life, not an attack on Mormonism, not a defense of 
 it, simply an account of the romantic adventures and 
 stirring incidents of my stormy career. 
 
 I, Joseph Lorenzo, was born in "Zion" in the days 
 when Brigham Young ruled it with an iron hand, 
 by means of prayer and revelation when such meth 
 ods seemed expedient, and by intrigue and murder 
 when it seemed best to him. I am the eighteenth off 
 spring of Henry Lorenzo, and the second child by 
 his third plural wife. Being a polygamous child, 
 reared in a polygamous household and taught the 
 doctrines of the Mormon Church from the time when 
 
 I 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 words first conveyed thought to my childish mind, 
 and having taken an active part in the work of the 
 church during my boyhood and early manhood, I 
 feel that the reader will be justified in concluding 
 that what is said here of Mormonism is accurate, 
 and that I know whereof I speak. 
 
 I was born on a farm which is now partly within 
 the corporate limits of Salt Lake City, Utah. Our 
 house was typical of the time, community, and man 
 ner of living, being a long, irregular, clumsily de 
 signed structure, surrounded by half grown Carolina 
 poplars. The main part, which was built first, was 
 of adobe brick. The several additions, which were 
 tacked on later to meet with the stress of events, 
 when the Lord of the household saw fit to bring 
 home a new wife, or as the Mormons put it, "add 
 a new star to his crown," were of wood. 
 
 The old brick part was extremely plain, both in 
 side and out. There was no veranda, simply steps 
 leading up to the three apartments into which the old 
 brick structure was divided. Each section was ex 
 actly the same, having three rooms below and two 
 above. The windows were small, with little old 
 fashioned panes of glass; the only departure from 
 rigid plainness being a little dormer window in the 
 roof of each section. There was only one entrance 
 in the front and one in the rear of each apartment, 
 and no connection between them. 
 
 The new additions were more pretentious, varying 
 in size and accoutrements, according to the amount 
 of influence the occupant exercised over the Lord 
 of the household. The favorite wife, for instance, 
 had by far the most luxurious suite, both as to size 
 and conveniences. Nothing was spared, all the com 
 forts and luxuries obtainable were in evidence. 
 
 Of the character, disposition, and life of the peo- 
 
 2 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG HAM YOUNG 
 
 pie living in the various apartments of our house, 
 more anon. We shall now turn to the humble little 
 refuge occupied by mother, sister Ruth and me. My 
 mother being the third "star" was permitted to shine 
 rather obscurely in the third apartment of the old 
 building, the one adjacent to the new additions. Our 
 living room faced the road, and was furnished with 
 three chairs of the ancient straightbacked variety, 
 and a rag carpet, which was the fruit of my mother's 
 industry. The paperless walls were adorned by two 
 pictures, one of my maternal grandmother, and one 
 of Brigham Young. Here I received my education, 
 religious and otherwise. 
 
 My mother was not of polygamous birth, but the 
 child of a legitimate marriage consummated in Eng 
 land. When she was a child of ten my maternal 
 grandmother, a widow keeping a country inn, 
 was proselyted by a Mormon "missionary" and 
 brought to the "promised land." Thus mother was 
 taken at a tender age and brought up in the faith. 
 As I look back, I can see that her emotional dispo 
 sition, with enough of that English determination 
 for consistency, was a soil on which religious fanati 
 cism would be sure to flourish. She was a true- 
 hearted woman, who lived as she was taught and 
 was ever ready to sacrifice herself to duty. I can 
 close my eyes and see her seated in her rocker, with 
 her grey head bent over the Book of Mormon, her 
 thin, acetic face lighted up with the hope of pleasure 
 promised to the faithful in the world to come. God 
 knows she saw little enough of pleasure in this life. 
 So wrapped up in religion was she that she did not 
 seem to appreciate the injustice with which she was 
 treated. Her one pleasure in life was to care for my 
 sister Ruth and me and instruct us in the doctrine 
 of the faith. 
 
IN THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG 
 
 Henry Lorenzo, as I remember him in the days of 
 my childhood, was rugged, thick set, of medium 
 height and energetic of mind and body. He wore a 
 full beard sprinkled with grey, as was also his long 
 dark hair which hung nearly to his shoulders. He 
 had a full, plethoric face, firm jaw and aquiline nose. 
 His deep set, piercing grey eyes looked out from be 
 neath heavy, black, overhanging eyebrows. The large 
 mouth with full, sensual lips, exposed, when he 
 smiled, a handsome set of strong white teeth, per 
 fectly formed. To outward appearances he was al 
 ways cool even when angered; and was usually in 
 dulgent to wives and children in anything that did 
 not affect his purse or thwart him in his pursuit of 
 wives and riches ; but let anyone dare to oppose him 
 along these lines and such an one would find him un 
 scrupulous, cruel and dangerous. Withall he was a 
 man whose general appearance would give him rank 
 in any company of men as a personality to be con 
 sidered. 
 
 I consider myself, up to the time I broke away 
 from the faith, a fair type of what is called a good 
 Mormon. I was honest, with health of mind and 
 body, industrious, and innocent of what are called 
 "bad habits." This much must be said in favor of 
 the Mormons they actually practice their beliefs, 
 which is more, I regret to say, than do most of the 
 Christians I have met. They do not "waste their 
 substance in riotous living," being total abstainers 
 from alcoholics and narcotics, and teaching, and in 
 most instances practicing stoicism in regard to 
 health. It is a common maxim in every Mormon 
 household, that if one does an act which will in any 
 way tend to injure one's health, one is "breaking 
 the word of wisdom." Thus coffee and tea are ta 
 booed as is any other food that is known to be in- 
 
 4 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 jurious, however palatable. The family and social 
 life is democratic in every particular. A hired 
 maid-servant is treated with the same consideration, 
 and given the same privileges as a member of the 
 family. All Mormons are lovers of music and are 
 fond of dancing and social events of all kinds, which 
 is evidenced today by the prosperity of the many 
 dance halls, theatres and music stores of Salt Lake 
 City. 
 
 Mormonism, as taught to me by my mother, 
 seemed to me then, and for many years, the embodi 
 ment of all things holy and divine. In fact, I knew 
 very little of other religions except in a general way, 
 I was taught that the world at large, outside of thej 
 "faith" was heathen; that Salt Lake was the largest' 
 and most beautiful city in the world ; and that I 
 was of the chosen, living in the "Promised Land," 
 waiting for a short time to be brought directly to 
 heaven, there to reign as a God, shining in rank, 
 power, and divine favor, in accordance with the 
 number of wives I supported on earth, and the man 
 ner in which I lived up to the "doctrine." As I grew 
 up I became ardent in the faith with the energy of 
 my father, without his dishonesty, thank God, and 
 with the emotional zeal of my mother. Henry 
 Lorenzo was president of the Granite Stake, a mem 
 ber of the seventies, and an apostle. Consequently 
 when I began to evidence marked zeal in the work 
 of the church, as his offspring, I was, of course, put 
 to the front. It was not until a comparatively recent 
 date that the Mormons favored education. In fact, 
 in the early days it was suppressed. The children 
 were taught the fundamentals of arithmetic and 
 reading and writing fey their parents, which was the 
 extent of education. Public speaking was in high 
 favor and natural oratory highly developed. Hence, 
 
 5 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 at the age of eighteen I had "lifted my voice in 
 meeting" and delivered what seemed to my fond 
 mother and me, a soul stirring oration; certainly it 
 was impassioned. 
 
 I worked on the farm, doing the same work as 
 the hired men, as soon as I was strong enough, and 
 received no recompense save clothing and a living. 
 The father of a Mormon family does not hesitate 
 to exploit the labor of his children and wives. Indeed 
 it is one of his greatest assets. 
 
 I was taught that the United States Government 
 was a tyrannical, heathen institution to be thwarted, 
 hated, and some day destroyed ; that it had murdered 
 the divine Joseph Smith, and had always persecuted 
 the faithful and Godly. I never saw the New Testa 
 ment until I had broken from the Mormon faith, as 
 it is but a minor incident in the Mormon teaching, 
 but I, like all Mormons, knew the book of Mormon 
 and "The Pearl of the Covenant" as intimately as 
 Christian youngsters know the story of Joseph and 
 his coat of many colors. This was the environment 
 of my youth, and nothing was brought to my mind 
 that would challenge the divinity of the system until 
 I reached manhood. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 IN the little family circle, composed of mother, 
 sister Ruth and me, life was peaceful and free from 
 discord. But Henry Lorenzo found difficulty which 
 called forth the exercise of all his diplomacy in keep 
 ing his less spiritually minded wives from quarrel 
 ing. This was especially true of those who had per 
 sonal charms and influence with him; each tried to 
 obtain the most favors and good things for herself 
 and children. There was seldom an open break, but 
 always an undercurrent of strife and jealousy. 
 
 I recall the advent of the seventh wife when I 
 was about fourteen years old, which caused a dis 
 turbance that was common. He installed the new 
 "star" in a new addition, furnished in a man 
 ner considered sumptuous in our community, and 
 provided her with a horse and carriage for her 
 exclusive use. No comment was made as to the 
 apartments, but the horse and wagon caused the 
 undercurrent to appear on the surface in the shape 
 of a violent domestic storm, owing to the jealousy of 
 the hitherto favorite wife. She came to our apart 
 ments in a rage to pour out her troubles, as she knew 
 that mother was the only one not glad to see her 
 shorn of her power with the Lord of the household. 
 It happened that he came in before mother calmed 
 her, and a stormy scene ensued. Joseph assumed his 
 best patriarchal dignity and evidently expected to 
 put an end to the matter with a stern look and a 
 few quotations from the book of Mormon. He was 
 
 7 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 unable, however, to lay hold offhand on a passage 
 that warranted this providing one wife with a pri 
 vate carriage while the others walked, or rode with 
 the whole family, if I may call our multitudinous 
 household such; so he resorted to the never failing 
 threat, that it was only by his consent, that she or 
 any of his wives could hope to enjoy the kingdom of 
 heaven. She retorted that she would rather smoul 
 der in h than see the new wife enjoying a private 
 
 carriage while she walked, and went out slamming 
 the door. She never regained favor, and it is safe 
 to say, that she is not one of his consorts in the 
 world to come, if he has anything to say about it. 
 
 My first real adventure, arising out of the faith, 
 occurred when I was a lad of fourteen. One evening 
 I was at a dance in the Stake house and had gone 
 outside partly because I wanted to enjoy a breath of 
 air, and partly because I was jealous of rny oldest 
 half-brother, who was dancing with a girl over whom 
 I was having my first attack of love sickness. It 
 was a warm evening in the early fall, and, seating 
 myself on the ground with my back against a tree, 
 I proceeded to nurse my wounded heart, and to plan 
 some deed of valor that would call the attention of 
 the lady of my desires to my superior qualities. I 
 noticed two men seated in a wagon standing near, 
 talking in low tones and thought I recognized two 
 gentile cattle buyers who had been at the farm the 
 day before to buy cattle. I was in no mood for 
 company and continued to nurse my wounded feel 
 ings, and to plan some feat of daring, some deed of 
 valor that would cause all "Zion," and incidentally, 
 a ^articular young lady, to wonder. I had been occu 
 pied with such thoughts for perhaps ten minutes, 
 when I caught a remark of one of the strangers that 
 caused me to listen to them, tense with interest. 
 
 8 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 "L. D. S., Latter Day Saints ! Look at old Hank 
 Lorenzo. Do you know what L. D. S. stands for as 
 far as he is concerned ? I'll tell you : 'Lorenzo draws 
 the spoils/ Why, the old cuss has money enough to 
 buy the biggest ranch west of the Mississippi River; 
 and if he keeps on corraling wives he'll soon have 
 enough human live-stock to graze it down. Did you 
 see the old Turk patting that little fifteen year old 
 girl on her pretty blonde head just as we came out? 
 Hank has a weakness for blondes. I'll bet my profits 
 on this trip against your old felt hat, that it will be 
 revealed to Hank inside of a year, that it is the 
 Lord's will that she should brighten up his crown a 
 bit, and if there's any kicking, some one will stand a 
 fine chance of being 'blood atoned.' " 
 
 "Go easy; hold that bull's bellow of yours," the 
 other stranger cautioned. "If some 'saint' hears you 
 you will .stand as good a chance for the atonement 
 job as anyone." 
 
 How dared these men speak thus of God's chosen 
 people! I was paralyzed with anger and astonish 
 ment. 
 
 The first speaker continued in a more subdued tone. 
 "The old rascal is a mixture of fox, billy goat and 
 grizzly bear, with a man's body. He is an old timer 
 I have heard it pretty straight that he was the one 
 that planned the 'Mountain Meadow Massacre,' 
 and he sure looks like he would be up to such tricks." 
 
 His companion was uneasy and got out of the 
 wagon, grumbling something unintelligible. The first 
 speaker stretched his long limbs lazily and followed. 
 My anger was at the boiling point and it suddenly 
 occurred to me that this was the opportunity I was 
 longing for, that God had sent these men that I 
 might have an opportunity to prove my devotion to 
 the faith, and win x a place in His favor and in the 
 
 9 
 
JN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 sight of man. With the rashness of youth and the 
 strength of anger upon me, I sprang to my feet and 
 confronted the strangers with clinched fists, and 
 glared at the face of the man who had dared to speak 
 slightingly of the things I held holy and sacred. 
 They were evidently surprised, to put it mildly; and 
 even in the dim moonlight I could see that they were 
 considerably perturbed. 
 
 "What's biting you, sonny?" drawled the one who 
 had done the talking. 
 
 I do not know what I hoped to accomplish alone 
 and single-handed against two full grown men, but 
 with no thought of consequences, I sprang at him, 
 vainly endeavoring to strike him in the face. 
 
 He grasped me by the front of my shirt and easily 
 held me at a safe distance, saying, "Easy boy, you'll 
 hurt yourself." 
 
 I began to bite, kick and scratch in impotent fury. 
 The other man caught my hands and said sooth 
 ingly : "What's the matter, boy, are you crazy ?" and 
 to his partner: "You have stirred this young whelp 
 up and he will have the whole pack on us in a min 
 ute, and we'll be in a fine mess." 
 
 For the first time it occurred to me to call for 
 help, but exaggerated boyish pride came with the 
 thought. All this occurred within a few yards of the 
 Stake House where the dance was going merrily 
 forward. I struggled desperately, and evidently 
 thinking I would cry out, one of them put his hand 
 roughly over my mouth. I prayed silently as I 
 struggled, that the Lord might give me strength even 
 as he did David of old, so I might conquer and anni 
 hilate these ungodly giants. The hand on my mouth 
 almost suffocated me. I succeeded in getting a hold 
 on it with my teeth and bit deep with the strength 
 of fury. I do not know whether the man I bit 
 
 10 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 struck me or hurled me against the wagon. I have 
 a dim recollection of a shock, and remember nothing 
 until I came to consciousness, lying on the ground 
 near the wagon. At first I did not know where I 
 was, but the sound of music and dancing quickly 
 brought the realization of what had occurred. I was 
 weak, sick, and trembling. All the fight had gone out 
 of me leaving me as frightened as though I had 
 wakened from a nightmare. I was conscious of a 
 dull ache in the back of my head and felt there ex 
 pecting to find it wet with blood, and was relieved to 
 find only a good-sized lump. I stood up and started 
 to go into the Stake House but changed my mind and 
 directed my steps homeward. 
 
 I found mother up working over her carpet loom. 
 She was shocked at my appearance, which clearly in 
 dicated fighting, of which I had oftentimes been 
 guilty. She said nothing as it was her custom (not 
 prevalent among mothers) to pass judgment after 
 she had learned the facts. When she had heard my 
 story she kissed me, and set about administering all 
 the home remedies available. By that time the wagon- 
 load of people from our house who had been at the 
 dance drove up, and mother called Henry Lorenzo 
 that she might communicate something of impor 
 tance to him. I heard him ask if I had returned, 
 as they had missed me, and knew he was coming 
 with reluctance, fearing, no doubt, that mother want 
 ed to discuss some point of faith, as she often did at 
 any hour, if troubled over some problem. He was 
 very much surprised at my story, and I think he 
 would have discredited it if it had not been for the 
 sudden disappearance of the cattle-buyers, who were 
 the guests of a neighbor. He administered a rebuke 
 for my failing to come quickly to him and tell him 
 what I had heard tempered with a compliment for 
 
 II 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG HAM YOUNG 
 
 my zealous defense of him and the faith, and prom 
 ised to take me to town the next day to a celebration, 
 as a reward for my action. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE next day found me feeling as well as ever, 
 save for a tender lump on the back of my head and a 
 general stiffness. I was up even earlier than usual, 
 and set about my "chores" with vim. The prospect 
 of going to Salt Lake with Henry Lorenzo to a cele 
 bration appealed to me very strongly, not because I 
 looked up to him with the admiration and affection 
 that boys of my age usually entertain for their fa 
 thers, as there had never existed the close relation of 
 parent and child between us. He always treated his 
 children with the same indifference he did the hired 
 help. I looked up to him much as I did to all grown 
 men, with more awe and respect perhaps, since his 
 was a personality that commanded it. 
 
 I had heard nothing of a celebration and was 
 curious to learn the cause, for there is but one holi 
 day really celebrated by the Mormons Emigration 
 Day, which falls in the latter part of July. It is the 
 anniversary of the arrival of the "faithful" into the 
 "promised land," and is the Mormon Christmas, 
 Thanksgiving and Fourth of July all wrapped up 
 into one. Hence, I consulted Moab Snow, whom I 
 found currying- the horses in the barn. Moab was 
 strong in the faith. He had been among the "per 
 secuted" that had fled from Navoo and had suffered 
 much for his devotion both physically and financially. 
 He was now earning his living as Henry Lorenzo's 
 right hand man. He had been more like a father 
 to me than Henry Lorenzo. There was a strong 
 
 13 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 bond of sympathy between us, due to the fact that 
 we both felt intensely the wrongs we believed had 
 been done our people. My trend of thought and 
 opinions, aside from mother's teachings, had been 
 moulded largely by him. I looked forward eagerly 
 to the time when I would be old enough to become 
 a member of the "Lions of the Lord," a secret or 
 ganization which worked the will of the church in 
 those matters which it dared not accomplish pub 
 licly, and of which Moab was a prominent member. 
 
 I had forgotten, for the time being, my adventure 
 of the previous night, so engrossed was I with 
 the prospect of my trip to town. That Moab was not 
 in a very good humor was clearly evident from the 
 fact that his old slouch hat was pulled as far down 
 over his eyes as was possible, and yet give him suffi 
 cient scope of vision to work. When in a good 
 humor, his hat was always pushed far back on his 
 head, exposing- a high narrow forehead and deep- 
 set, grey eyes, sparsely adorned with colorless eye 
 brows and lashes. On these occasions, his weather- 
 beaten face was lighted up with the semblance of a 
 smile. His six feet of muscular bony body was bent 
 to the task of vigorously currying the mud from the 
 roan mare's front feet. Without so much as a good 
 morning, I eagerly inquired if he knew the cause of 
 the celebration in the city that day, and what it was 
 going to be like. Moab stopped working, sat down in 
 the tedding of the box stall, and pushed his hat back 
 a little, which told me the subject was a pleasing one. 
 
 "The children of Zion," quoth he, "are going to 
 
 give the persecuted and saintly Prophet K a 
 
 turnout in honor of his being let out of the cursed, 
 gentile prison where he has been for the past three 
 months. Why? Because he was, and is, a zealous 
 worker in God's Kingdom; because he followed the 
 
 14 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG HAM YOUNG 
 
 Word of the Lord as revealed; and took unto him 
 self many wives, that the children of Zion might 
 increase, and his crown be bright in the world to 
 come." 
 
 Moab was in a mood for a lengthy discourse and 
 continued to rail at the iniquity of the accursed Phil 
 istines. I was in too great a state of excitement to 
 give much heed, and soon escaped to my waiting 
 breakfast. 
 
 My ever-thoughtful mother had put my best clothes 
 in a presentable condition again, and I was soon 
 washed, dressed, and in a position where Henry 
 Lorenzo could not fail to see me in my unusual at 
 tire, thus obviating the possibility of his forgetting 
 his promise to take me with him. Moab hitched the 
 mustangs to the democrat wagon and I drove them 
 proudly to the stepping stone. Henry greeted me 
 with unusual affability, taking a seat beside me and 
 relieving me of the reins, much to my disappoint 
 ment, as I had hoped to do the driving myself. We 
 were soon joined by his two favorite wives. One, 
 a Swedish girl scarcely out of her teens, was good to 
 look at and pleasing in conversation. The other was 
 an attractive blonde, who carried herself and dressed 
 with an air that I have since learned to associate 
 with women who earn their living on the stage. Af 
 ter driving in silence a few minutes, Henry asked 
 me to repeat the story of my adventure of the pre 
 vious night. He listened in grim silence, but with an 
 expression that boded ill for my opponents if they 
 should ever come into his power. I was too honest 
 and unsophisticated to omit anything they had said, 
 and, boy that I was, I felt vaguely that their remarks 
 regarding his preference for the little blonde, and 
 their prediction as to consequent revelation, struck 
 home, and that it was this, rather than their treat- 
 
 15 
 
IN THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG 
 
 ment of me, or the affront to our religion, that 
 angered him. I longed to ask him if he would have 
 them "blood atoned," and why he did not arouse the 
 neighborhood the night before and follow them. I 
 ventured to question him concerning the latter, and 
 he said he would leave their punishment to the Lord, 
 at the same time whipping up the horses in a man 
 ner that told me the subject was dropped. 
 
 Our fleet mustangs overtook several other convey 
 ances of various descriptions, all loaded to their ut 
 most capacity with people in gala attire. Evidently 
 the news had spread by the "grape vine telegraph," 
 and this was to be a day of general festivity. We 
 drove up what is now State Street, then only a 
 wide and exceedingly muddy road, to the tithing 
 house. This was exactly like one of our eastern mar 
 kets, except that the farmers brought here, one- 
 tenth of all they produced and gave it to the church. 
 The magnificent new Utah Hotel, which cost up 
 wards of a million dollars, now stands where the 
 tithing house then stood. This structure was built 
 no doubt out of the princely revenue that poured in 
 to the coffers of the church from the less pretentious 
 tithing house, which was abolished when currency 
 came into more common use. We put our team in the 
 tithing house shed and Henry betook himself to the 
 Bee Hive house, the home of Brigham Young. He 
 left his wives and me to our own devices; but with 
 instructions to meet him at the Gift House for din 
 ner. His wives, nothing loath, started on a shop 
 ping tour, leaving me to amuse myself in my own 
 way. 
 
 It was the first time I had ever been in the city 
 alone, and I walked down Main Street with consid 
 erable pride and not a little trepidation, on the look 
 out for a peanut vendor, as I fingered a ten cent 
 
 16 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 piece, given me by my mother. I was soon minus the 
 ten cents and the possessor of a small bag of choco 
 lates and another of peanuts, which the genial mer 
 chant loudly proclaimed to be fresh and hot roasted. 
 I returned to the shed to enjoy my feast in privacy 
 and was very agreeably surprised to find Moab 
 hitching the roan mare. We sought out the Mrs. 
 Lorenzo, seventh and eighth, and told them we 
 would not join them again until time to go home. 
 Moab and I spent the remainder of the morning in 
 Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution, inspecting 
 the latest devices in farm machinery. We ate lunch 
 at the tithing house lunch-room. 
 
 By twelve-thirty, a nondescript array of vehicles 
 had lined up on what is now Temple Street, and 
 reached from the Bee Hive House several Salt Lake 
 blocks. For the benefit of those who are not fa 
 miliar with "Zion," it might be well to mention that 
 these blocks each comprise ten acres, and each was 
 originally designed as a farm. The conveyances 
 varied greatly in style and equipment. Nearly every 
 conceivable kind was in evidence, from Brigham 
 Young's handsome coach and four, to a prairie 
 schooner driven by mules. Everyone was in good 
 humor and every outfit loaded to its full capacity. 
 A band marched up, playing a favorite Mormon 
 hymn and took its place ahead of Brigham Young's 
 carriage. At this juncture, Brigham, accompanied 
 by his favorite wife Amelia, appeared from the 
 Amelia Palace, and took his place in the carriage at 
 the head of the line. He was a man of striking ap 
 pearance, with a face and beard which reminded 
 one of General Grant's pictures. He carried himself 
 with a splendid modest dignity, and, even to a 
 casual observer, he bore all the earmarks of a leader 
 of men. At a word from him the parade started. 
 
 17 
 
IN THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG 
 
 Moab had taken me up in front of him on the 
 roan's back, and we cantered briskly along beside the 
 parade. I watched the faces of the people that 
 thronged the sidewalk. Suddenly I caught sight of 
 my opponents of the previous night, and without a 
 thought as to consequences, I attempted to dismount 
 and would have fallen on my head had not Moab 
 seized me by the collar with one hand, and brought 
 the horse up short with the other. He held me 
 firmly by the collar, while I gaspingly shouted: "I 
 saw them !" I had told Moab of my adventure while 
 we ate lunch, and it finally dawned on him that I 
 had seen my acquaintances of the previous evening. 
 By that time they had disappeared in the crowd. 
 Moab berated me soundly for my foolishness in try 
 ing to dismount as I did, and asked me what I in 
 tended to do had I overtaken them. I could not an 
 swer, but I felt that I would have attacked them 
 again. 
 
 No one paid any attention to us, and soon we were 
 again following the parade, which had begun to sing 
 the hymn the band was playing. Arriving at the 
 penitentiary, which is about three miles from the 
 Bee Hive House, the line righted about, and faced 
 the homeward journey, with the band and Brigham 
 still at the head. Accompanied by his last and fa 
 vorite wife the hero soon appeared taking his seat 
 in the carriage amid the acclaim of the multitude. 
 Then Brigham Young permitted an act of folly 
 which seemed to be entirely out of keeping with his 
 usual diplomatic and cautious methods. He allowed 
 someone to fasten the Stars and Stripes to the axle 
 of his carriage, where it would trail in the mud, to 
 the great delight of Moab and the crowd generally. 
 I have since learned to love and revere the flag, and 
 even then the sight of the bright banner trailing in 
 
 18 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 the dirt was very repugnant to me. It filled me 
 with a mild sense of shame for my people who were 
 insulting it, when the people who loved it were not 
 there to resent it. I heard my father tell Brigham 
 that it would bring the soldiers down on us, but he 
 
 only laughed and said: "Old Captain G is in a 
 
 drunken sleep at this hour of the day, and no one up 
 there dares to do anything without orders from him, 
 even to wake him." 
 
 As the carriage, with the trailing flag, passed us, 
 Moab leaned over and spit on it, shouting: "Down 
 with the persecutors! Long live Zion," and his ex 
 ample was quickly and enthusiastically followed by 
 the people on foot. All the way to the city, they vied 
 with each other, each trying to find something more 
 filthy than the other to hurl at the unoffending and 
 now almost unrecognizable emblem. Retribution 
 was at hand, however. Someone had just hurled a 
 particularly vile object at the trailing flag, which 
 Drought forth cheers and laughter, when a troop of 
 cavalry came suddenly around a corner and swooped 
 down upon us. They halted a dozen paces in front 
 of the band and came to attention at a sharp word of 
 command from a stern, red-faced officer who quickly 
 dismounted and strode toward the carriage occupied 
 by Young. The latter alighted with hat in one hand 
 and extended the other to the officer, saying that it 
 was an agreeable surprise to have the Captain and 
 his troop join them in their little celebration over the 
 release of their brother, who had been discharged 
 and purified from any offense he might have com 
 mitted against the government, which the gallant 
 Captain represented. The officer ignored the ex 
 tended hand, and demanded the meaning of the riot 
 ous demonstration. Young started to deprecate 
 the officer's terming their innocent pleasure at the 
 
 19 
 
IN THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG 
 
 release of their unfortunate brother riotous con 
 duct, when a rough looking man in the garb usually 
 worn by prospectors, with a G. A. R. button in the 
 lapel of his coat, stepped from the crowd on the 
 sidewalk. He came to attention, saluted the officer, 
 and asked him to look at the flag trailing in the mud. 
 The Captain turned and for the first time saw the 
 insulted emblem. He sprang aside, shouting to his 
 troop: "Ready! Aim!" Instantly the parade was 
 transformed into a screaming mob. Women fainted, 
 children cried and men swore. All was reduced to 
 a wild disorder. 
 
 Brigham Young then proved himself the master of 
 a difficult situation. With perfect coolness, he 
 turned his back on the officer, who had himself 
 covered Young, and kneeling in the mud with his 
 hand extended to the heavens, prayed in stentorian 
 tones, as coolly as though he were in some remote and 
 peaceful stake house. The people on the sidewalks 
 had scattered as if by magic, running wildly in every 
 direction. The ones nearest the soldiers were trying 
 to hide from the line of fire in the most ridiculous 
 manner, some behind their horses, some under the 
 wagons, and one fat, bewhiskered old apostle, seized 
 a bundle of hay from his wagon, and throwing it 
 on the ground hid behind it, shouting: "I didn't do 
 it! Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" Moab had forced 
 his horse up close to the officer and was covertly cov 
 ering him with a six-shooter. The commotion lasted 
 but a minute, when it subsided as quickly as it be 
 gan, save for the pattering of distant feet and the oc 
 casional hysterical scream of some female. 
 
 "Thy will be done, Oh Lord !" the voice of Brig- 
 ham was interrupted by the stern command of the 
 officer. 
 
 "While you are down there, apologize to that 
 20 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 flag, you d d old hypocrite, or I'll blow you, your 
 concubines, and your whole outfit into h where you 
 belong !" 
 
 "If you will allow me first to speak a few words 
 to my people, your every wish shall be carried out." 
 
 The officer hesitated a moment, but, influenced by 
 curiosity or the cool tone, which was almost a com 
 mand, said : "Go ahead, but be brief and careful." 
 
 "It is the Lord's will that the Saints again submit 
 to humiliation at the hands of the ungodly," and he 
 started to rise. 
 
 "Stay where you are," ordered the officer, "and 
 ask the Lord to forgive you for the insults you have 
 offered to the United States flag." 
 
 I could not hear what Young said, as he lowered 
 his voice. At the officer's command a tub of water 
 was quickly provided, and Young was forced to wash 
 the bedraggled banner. With an imprecation which 
 sounded very much like an oath, Moab whirled his 
 horse about, and, clapping his spurs to her sides 
 started to galloo away, when the officer cried: 
 "Halt!" 
 
 Moab obeyed quickly as there was something in 
 the voice of the Captain that spelled death to dis 
 obedience. "Corporal, take this fellow into cus 
 tody We will teach him to be careful how he draws 
 a gun on an officer of the United States Army, even 
 if he has not the courage to do it openly." 
 
 We slept in the guard-house that night. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 1 will not dwell on my brief imprisonment. Suf 
 fice to say that I was brought to the Captain's quar 
 ters the next morning where I found Henry and 
 mother waiting for me. The Captain had taken it 
 for granted that I was Moab's son, and, not know 
 ing what else to do with me had held me. 
 
 "You allow your son to keep strange company, 
 sir," he said to father. "See that he is not found in 
 such a situation again." 
 
 During the night Moab had repeated his very 
 biased story of the wrongs the "Saints" had suffered 
 at the hands of the government; how our people had 
 been driven out of the east, many of them scattered, 
 not a few of them murdered, and their property con 
 fiscated; how the "Saints" had hoped that on the 
 desert, which, through indomitable courage, perse 
 verance, and energy, they had caused to yield as 
 abundantly as the valley of the Mohawk, they would 
 be free to live as God willed they should, through 
 His revelations; and how the gentiles had come 
 again with their man-made laws and evil ways to 
 persecute and destroy us. 
 
 I was a stranger to timidity, due, no doubt, to my 
 being trained to speak in public, and now, fairly 
 bursting with indignation at the Captain's slighting 
 reference to Moab, I poured forth, in unqualified 
 terms my opinion of the Captain and the govern 
 ment he served. When I finished I looked to Henry 
 
 22 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 and my mother for encouragement and was abashed 
 to note cold disapproval indicated in Henry's de 
 meanor, but relieved and cheered to find my mother 
 beaming with pride and pleasure. 
 
 "Sir/' said the Captain, "this child has spoken, in 
 his childish simplicity, what is in the hearts of all 
 your people. He is the first, however, who has had 
 the courage to speak the truth to an officer of the 
 government, since this troop of soldiers has been 
 stationed here, with a battery trained on your city. 
 His remarks have made a deep impression on me, 
 and I now understand the brand of patriotism you 
 are teaching your children." 
 
 He approached me and would have patted me on 
 the shoulder had I not stepped aside, still very angry 
 and defiant, and in no mood to be patronized by this 
 man of evil. Nevertheless I was attracted, in spite 
 of myself, by his winning smile as he looked keenly 
 at me and said : "You are a bright, courageous child, 
 and I hope that some day when you have reached 
 intelligent manhood the truth of the crime that has 
 been committed against you will be apparent to you." 
 Then to Henry : "Old man, you are too far advanced 
 in years to have been born into this system of lust 
 and greed, and too intelligent to have accepted the 
 so-called revelations of Joe Smith for anything but 
 distinctly mercenary and carnal reasons, and be as 
 sured I will watch you and your stripe. You have 
 come well out of the treasonable demonstration of 
 yesterday, but I warn you, as I did that old villain, 
 Young, that I will scatter you to the four corners of 
 the earth, if you indulge in any more such pleas 
 antries at the expense of the United States Govern 
 ment. Now get out!" 
 
 Henry Lorenzo smiled sardonically, bowed to the 
 Captain, and we left without a word. As we 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 climbed into our wagon, Henry said to me : "My son, 
 you have heard and seen a fair type of the evil men 
 who have been the curse of Zion and the children of 
 God. May you ever oppose them as strongly in deed 
 and spirit as you have just now. But never again 
 allow your zeal to run away with your discretion; 
 always temper your words and conduct to suit the 
 occasion. That has been my policy and it has car 
 ried me far. I feel that I can say in all modesty, 
 that in so doing I have accomplished more for the 
 glory and upbuilding of Zion than the men who 
 have been more zealous than prudent. The devil 
 prevaileth at times; then wise men are silent, doing 
 their good works in secret, that the evil one may not 
 be attracted to them and their good works de 
 stroyed." 
 
 I could not help feeling the truth of this, and that 
 he had come from our interview with the Captain 
 with his dignity unruffled. The Captain was none 
 the wiser save for the information I had given him 
 in my imprudent outburst. I vouchsafed no reply 
 and we drove home in silence. 
 
 I do not know how the news spread, but it was 
 soon generally known that I had bearded the Captain 
 in his den, and told him he was a coward. It put me 
 in prominence for a while and was thje means of 
 my being promptly admitted into the "Lions of the 
 Lord" before I was sixteen. Thus I became the 
 youngest novitiate of the order that committed more 
 assasinations than the reader would be apt to believe 
 possible in the land of the free. ' 
 
 Three days after my release, it was known that the 
 gentile cattle buyers had been murdered by the 
 Indians some ten miles east of Zion. When I men 
 tioned the fact to Henry, he smiled grimly. 
 
 Moab was held to await the sitting of the Federal 
 24 
 
IN THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG 
 
 Court and was discharged with a fine and a severe 
 reprimand. He returned to his duties more embit 
 tered and morose than ever. 
 
 The next few years of my life were uneventful. I 
 will now take you up to the period of my life when 
 I was really happy. 
 
 My oldest half-sister had married and was living on 
 one of Henry's numerous ranches, in the canyon near 
 the present location of Park City, Utah. Her hus 
 band had broken his leg and I was sent up during the 
 harvest season, as I could be vrery well spared from 
 the home farm, and it was difficult to secure help in 
 that remote and lonesome spot. I was not enthusi 
 astic at the prospect, but it never entered my mind 
 to disobey. 
 
 My brother-in-law, Edward Wright, had drifted 
 into Zion from the east a few years before, fallen 
 in love with my sister, and adopted Mormonism in 
 a half-hearted manner, that he might get Henry's 
 consent to the marriage. I believe he selected the 
 remotest possible place to live, that he might not be 
 forced to closely affiliate with the church. He took 
 but the one wife, and at the worst was but a "Jack 
 Mormon." By means of damming up a little moun 
 tain stream, he irrigated a strip of land in one of 
 the widest parts of the canyon. Here he raised 
 some grain and garden products, which, with a few 
 sheep and cattle, yielded him a modest income, after 
 he had paid his tithing and turned over one-half 
 to Henry. He built a very comfortable log house, 
 which was surrounded by a thrifty garden. 
 
 Nestled down 'in the picturesque canyon, surround 
 ed by grey, rugged peaks which towered until they 
 seemed to reach the sky, the home of my brother-in- 
 law seemed the embodiment of peace and prosperity. 
 I brought my horse up sharply, and paused to enjrw 
 25 
 
!N THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 the scene, which thrilled even me to whom the 
 mountains were home. The sun just peeping over the 
 eastern range, its brilliant rays bathing the opposite 
 cliffs in golden light, had not penetrated to the can 
 yon below. Smoke curled lazily up from the house 
 which, with its cultivated land surrounding it, re 
 posed in the cool morning shade. All was quiet save 
 for the triumphant cackle of the hens, who felt no 
 doubt that their morning's work had been well done. 
 Truly this was the Garden of Eden and fate had 
 decreed that here I was to meet my Eve. 
 
 No one was in sight as I rode up, dismounted, and 
 put my horse in the little temporary shed. This done, 
 I started for the house and came suddenly face to 
 face with a vision which will live forever in my 
 memory. Yes, it was a girl; and such a girl, it 
 seemed to me, as nature, not content to allow this 
 paradise to exist without a fitting queen to rule over 
 it, had fashioned from her choicest creations. Surely 
 that lock of hair, peeping from under the little pink 
 sunbonnet was but a stray sunbeam; those surprised 
 and startled eyes caught their color from the sky; 
 the color of the lips and cheeks matched the fresh 
 strawberries she had gathered in the basket on her 
 arm ; and the poise of the graceful figure, as she half 
 turned, as though to run, was the same I had often 
 noted in the elk of the neighboring mountains when 
 they first scented the hunter. 
 
 I stood awkwardly staring at her with open-eyed 
 admiration. She seemed to recognize the expression 
 which was evidently not new to her. She smiled, 
 giving me a glimpse of two rows of perfectly formed 
 white teeth, at which new wonder I stared, the more 
 vainly trying to recall some perfection of nature 
 which must have been copied. 
 26 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG HAM YOUNG 
 
 "Mr. Cowboy, you are not so free with speech as 
 you are in making use of other people's sheds." 
 
 I started at the sound of her well modulated voice. 
 It was distinctly different from that of the girls I 
 knew, all of whom had associated with rough men, 
 leading rough lives, and whose tones were rough in 
 consequence. Shifting uncomfortably from one foot 
 to the other, I stammered, "I am Joe Lorenzo." 
 
 "Indeed. Prophet or cowboy?" 
 
 I felt that I was being laughed at and it did not 
 tend to put me at ease. I had never been bashful in 
 the presence of the fair sex (it is not a Mormon 
 trait) and a tinge of anger brought me some of my 
 usual self assurance. 
 
 "I came to help my brother-in-law, but it seems 
 he has an all-sufficient person already." 
 
 I intended this to be a very crushing bit of repar 
 tee, and was much less pleased than surprised when 
 she graciously admitted that she was sufficient, but 
 that I would come handy with the cows, as she 
 feared and hated them. With this remark she start 
 ed for the house, advising me to follow and get some 
 thing to eat as I looked as though I needed it. I was 
 still trying to get the full meaning of her rather am 
 biguous remark, as to my coming in handy with the 
 cows. It stung my pride to be classed with the ani 
 mals she feared and hated. It was plain that my 
 queen of nature could be as cruel as nature herself, 
 when in the right mood ; but I could not imagine 
 what I had done to merit her displeasure, unless it 
 was my bold and perhaps rude stare. I mentally 
 resolved that I would not offend again, and deter 
 mined to so conduct myself that I might have the 
 pleasure of enjoying- more congenial relations with 
 this beauty of the mountains. 
 
 We found my sister in the living room of the 
 27 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 house, reading to her husband, who was lying on 
 the couch. Their two-year-old son sat in the middle 
 of the floor, erecting a house out of bright colored 
 blocks, in which occupation he was promptly inter 
 rupted by "her queenliness." Taking him up in her 
 arms she tossed him in the air, kissing him each 
 time he descended, from which diversion, with wis 
 dom far beyond his years, he seemed to derive infi 
 nite enjoyment. Edward and my sister greeted me 
 very cordially and Edward introduced his niece, 
 Louise Northfall, late of St. Louis. I assumed what 
 I considered my best manner of easy, dignified cor 
 diality, and bowed very low. She merely glanced 
 at me, and nodding carelesly said, "He has already 
 introduced himself." 
 
 My sister was a good natured motherly woman. 
 She promptly set the remains of their breakfast be 
 fore me, while her husband and I talked of the crops, 
 and I told him of the latest happenings in the city. 
 I was covertly watching his niece, playing with the 
 baby on the floor, and I fancy my answers were 
 very much at random, to say the least. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 I WORKED from early until late in the harvest fields 
 for the next few weeks, but neither gold nor the fear 
 of death could have driven me away. I worked with 
 a fierce nervous energy, so as to finish my tasks and 
 have a few days, perchance, to roam in the mountains 
 with Louise. I called her that in my thoughts but 
 never dared to address her by that name. She almost 
 ignored me, and treated me, when she chose to 
 notice me at all, with an indifference, that surprised, 
 piqued and chastened my somewhat conceited opinion 
 of myself which had not suffered at the hands of the 
 girls I had hitherto known, due no doubt to my be 
 ing the son of one of the richest and most powerful 
 of the church leaders. Like all young men of eigh 
 teen, I believed I understood women perfectly. Then, 
 too, my Mormon upbringing had not tended to give 
 me an exalted opinion of the weaker sex, and 
 while I was very susceptible to their charms, I be 
 lieved them but an incident in the life of man and 
 unworthy of serious consideration. I possessed no 
 chivalry, except what was mine by instinct. 
 
 My sister told me Edward's niece had come to 
 live with them during the summer because she had 
 no other home, and that she was going back 
 in the fall to teach school. She had lived with her 
 grandparents ever since she was a small child when 
 her own parents had died. Edward's father and 
 mother had taken her and brought her up with the 
 29 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 same care and love they would have bestowed on 
 her had she been their own child, giving her all the 
 education their modest means afforded. 
 
 "Louise is a firm believer in a Gentile religion and 
 you had best avoid the subject of religion when con 
 versing with her," warned my sister. 
 
 I immediately determined to attempt to convert 
 her at the first opportunity, never doubting that it 
 would be an easy and pleasant task. 
 
 The first Sunday I was there, the longed for op 
 portunity presented itself. 1 got up earlier than 
 usual intending to prevail on Louise to ride to meet 
 ing with me. The idea had come as an inspiration 
 the previous evening, and I had been nerving myself 
 ever since to ask her. Just before breakfast time, 
 she came out to feed the chickens, a self-appointed 
 task, as she liked to see them eat. 
 
 I strolled up with a brave attempt at nonchalance 
 and asked her in what I hoped would appear a very 
 off-hand manner, if she would not like to ride horse 
 back down the canyon to meeting. 
 
 "I should like to ride, but to meeting, what meet 
 ing? I am in the habit of attending church on Sun 
 day, but I understand there are no churches in this 
 country." 
 
 I recognized the affront to our religion, but the 
 cool, indifferent, impersonal tone made it difficult 
 to take offense; besides I was so anxious to break 
 through the barrier of calm, distant formality, and 
 arrive at some terms of intimacy with this wonder 
 fully charming heathen that I would have endured 
 almost anything to accomplish it. 
 
 "Very well, we will ride up the canyon to the 
 'Hot Pots' if you prefer it." 
 
 "O, I would dearly love to," she exclaimed. I 
 felt that the ice was broken. 
 30 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 She had once spent a summer on a ranch with a 
 school friend, where she had learned to ride with 
 ease and grace. We were provided with lunch and 
 six-shooters, mine for safety, for lawless men and 
 straggling bands of Indians roved the mountains and 
 hold-ups were not uncommon. She had taken her 
 uncle's gun to learn to shoot. There was no oppor 
 tunity for connected conversation until we stopped 
 for lunch, as we watched sharply where the way 
 was rough, and cantered briskly where the way 
 permitted. 
 
 We stopped about noon time and ate our lunch 
 in silence in the shade of a clump of scrub pine. 
 There was no embarrassment in our silence, it was 
 simply that the ride had given our normally good 
 appetites an abnormal stimulus, and we were too 
 busy to talk. When the last bit had disappeared, 
 washed down with mountain spring-water, we 
 sighed with satisfaction simultaneously, and then 
 laughed. 
 
 "Most men would be looking for something to 
 smoke/' she said. "If I were a man I would smoke." 
 
 "One of the first precepts of the religion I love 
 and revere above all things, forbids the doing of 
 whatever will injure the health, which God has given 
 us to use in the upbuilding of His Kingdom," I re 
 plied. 
 
 "Yes," she flashed, "and, besides, it is bad for the 
 nerves and one must need plenty of nerve to rule 
 over a harem." 
 
 "That might be true of certain women, but our 
 women are God-fearing." 
 
 "Yours are the do-as-you-say-stand-without-hitch- 
 ing, kick-me-because-I-like-it variety, I judge." 
 
 "They are Godly women, obedient to their hus- 
 
 31 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 bands, and not lacking in spirit," I retorted, making 
 an effort to keep my temper. 
 
 "Quite so! And how many, if the question is 
 not impertinent, of these very desirable creatures 
 have you in your harem? Being such an ardent 
 Mormon, and," I believe she almost said good look 
 ing, "so prominent in the church, you must have ar 
 least a dozen." 
 
 "Miss Northfall, I am as yet unmarried, and will 
 remain so until I have gone on a mission and done 
 all in my poor power to spread the true will 
 of God. We are not Mormons but Latter Day Saints. 
 Your remarks were evidently designed to give of 
 fense, and in my poor judgment unbecoming a lady/' 
 
 She rose leisurely with scarcely a trace of dis 
 pleasure discernible, saying, as she quickly mounted 
 the little mustang before I could help her. "Mr. 
 Saint, your judgment is indeed very poor. Being 
 a Saint you ought to be good company on Sunday. 
 My depraved taste leads me to prefer this mustang. 
 You had better spend the remainder of the day with 
 someone, who in your opinion, qualifies as a lady." 
 She whipped up the pony and was gone before I 
 could reply, going as fast as was consistent with 
 safety and whistling as she went. 
 
 I followed her closely with wildly conflicting emo 
 tions. She did not slacken the pace until we reached 
 home, where she insisted on taking care of her horse, 
 except that I took off the saddle. 
 
 I longed to apologize and to renew the argument, 
 but I did not know how to go about either. She 
 went into the house and up to her room telling my 
 sister that after we reached a certain altitude, we 
 struck an atmosphere that oppressed her, and this 
 was the only excuse offered for our early return. 
 My admiration for her had increased rather than 
 32 
 
IN THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG I 
 
 \ 
 
 diminished, and I acknowledged to myself that I 
 was very much in love with her. I was surprised to 
 find that I entertained a respect for her to which: 
 I never believed any woman entitled hitherto, that' 
 is, from a mental standpoint. 
 
 33 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 EDWARD WRIGHT was easy going and good na- 
 tured, which is anomalous in a man as industrious 
 as he. It was a great trial for him to lie idle when 
 his labor would have been so valuable. He endured 
 his plight with stoical fortitude, however, and rarely 
 uttered a complaint. He was a man of considerable 
 education, having studied medicine in his younger 
 days, but giving it up on account of his health. He 
 had a fine collection of books, including many of 
 the classics and a number of scientific authorities. 
 Up to this time, my reading had been confined to 
 books that had received the sanction of the church. 
 Now, rebuffed and ignored by Louise, I turned to 
 the books in Edward's library, as a kind of mild 
 dissipation, just as a man of other habits and train 
 ing would have resorted to drink. I found great con 
 solation in them, and they served to occupy my 
 mind, partially at least, when I was not busy in the 
 fields. Delving into them, and talking with Edward 
 of the life he had led at college, of the gentile's 
 ways and manner of living, and of their religion, 
 soon gave me an insight into the character of Louise. 
 It dawned upon me how exceedingly abhorrent poly 
 gamy must be to one brought up a gentile, with the 
 romantic ideal of but one true love, and the exalted 
 deference due womankind. 
 
 The fruit of this reading was my first mental 
 treason to the system. I was in love with Louise 
 34 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 and determined to win her. The passion she had in 
 spired was all consuming, and I mentally resolved 
 that I would love her and prosecute my suit with 
 the deference and humility which were so effective 
 in the books I had read. I would sacrifice my hopes 
 of the hereafter by marrying her only. I did not 
 despair in the hope of converting her, however, and 
 was as firm in my belief as ever, longing for an op 
 portunity to present our side of the argument. I had 
 argued with gentiles before and had never found one 
 who had sufficient knowledge of the Bible to make it 
 even interesting for me. 
 
 She gave me no opportunity, however, and con 
 tinued to treat me with indifference, never taking 
 the trouble to avoid me, but making it very plain that 
 any advances, beyond common civility, on my part 
 would be most unwelcome. When the conversation 
 was general at the table or when we were sitting 
 on the veranda after the lady's work was done, she 
 always took the lead. I remained a silent listener, 
 for the most part, either too inexperienced in the art 
 of light and chaffing conversation, unfamiliar with 
 the topics she designedly chose, or so abashed by her 
 quick witted sallies, when I ventured to take part, 
 that I did not care to repeat the experience. Both 
 Edward and my sister must have noticed her aver 
 sion for me, but neither mentioned it. How she 
 ever forgave her uncle for espousing Mormonism is 
 more than I could understand, and, too, she was on 
 close terms of intimacy with my sister, whose heart 
 she had completely won. 
 
 Things continued in this manner until the work 
 was nearly done. Edward had begun to hobble 
 around with a cane, and I could see that the time 
 was fast drawing near when I would have to take 
 my departure. Instead of gaining confidence, as 
 35 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 time went by, I became more diffident. I felt some 
 how, that Louise read my secret and was gratified 
 and amused but not a bit softened I almost de 
 spaired of ever getting on even a friendly footing 
 with her, when chance intervened in my behalf. 
 
 She had been taking short rides up and down the 
 canyon every day since that disastrous Sunday, ven 
 turing a little farther each time as her confidence 
 and sense of security increased. We had warned 
 her time and again to beware of Indians and des 
 peradoes, but as she never saw any, she had been 
 lulled into a false sense of security, believing, as she 
 said, that we were telling "bogy" stories. 
 
 I went to the nearest settlement, one afternoon, 
 for some necessaries, returning just at sundown. My 
 sister met me at the turn of the trail, with the baby 
 in her arms. I knew by her attitude that trouble 
 was at hand as soon as I caught sight of her. 
 
 "Louise has been gone since eleven o'clock," she 
 said in an agitated voice, "and she did not take a 
 lunch with her. Edward thinks she is with you. I 
 did not dare to tell him otherwise, as I was afraid 
 he would try to find her and injure himself/' 
 
 Strange as it may seem, I received the bad tidings 
 with as much satisfaction as alarm. I was selfish 
 enough to be glad that my judgment had been 
 vindicated. I felt, too, that this was an opportunity 
 to p,rove my metal, in some very dramatic manner, 
 to this obdurate and self-sufficient gentile. That 
 she had been captured by some wandering band of 
 Indians, I never doubted. I was equally confident 
 that I would be able to rescue her unharmed, by 
 means of a ransom; if necesary fry force and arms. 
 The Ute Indians are more like thieving squaws, any 
 way, with a wholesome dread of anyone in cowboy 
 attire. Besides, they were ostensibly very friendly 
 
 36 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 to the Mormon people. If they could murder me 
 with no danger of being discovered, I knew they 
 would do it with unction if for no other reason 
 than to get my six-shooter. So I prepared to use 
 every precaution. I sent my sister to the kitchen 
 after my rifle, and. leaving my horse at the end of 
 the trail, secured some old sacks from the barn, to 
 muffle the pony's feet, taking care not to be seen by 
 Edward. By that time my sister had returned, laden 
 with the rifle, a water bottle, a knapsack full of 
 lunch, and all the ammunition I could carry. All 
 this occupied but a few brief minutes, and I soon 
 found myself riding- briskly up the canyon in high 
 spirits feeling very much the hero. The extreme 
 darkness, which is peculiar to the mountains on a 
 cloudy night, soon fell on the canyon, forcing me to 
 allow the pony to choose her own pace, and to trust 
 to her sight and instinct to keep us out of trouble. 
 
 My mind was full of excited fancies as I rode 
 along in the oppressive stillness. I tried to imagine 
 how I would effect a rescue, and, if I were success 
 ful, what change it would make in Louise's attitude. 
 Then my thoughts turned to the possible chiefs who 
 would be likely to attempt such an outrage, when 
 "Dandy Jean/' flashed across my mind. I had heard 
 it rumored that this notorious, half-breed bandit 
 had been operating along the main trail to Denver, 
 and it was thought that he was in hidng in the 
 mountains somewhere not far distant. His activities 
 were so uncertain, however, covering a territory 
 from Montana to the Santa Fe trail, that it was at 
 best a matter of vague conjecture. But the possibil 
 ity that it was he, changed my attitude from cock- 
 sureness to terror both for the safety of Louise, and 
 for the outcome of any attempt that I might make 
 to effect a rescue. I did not fear a foe worthy of 
 37 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 my steel, but I knew this wily, courageous villain 
 never traveled without four or five accomplices, all 
 cunning, hardened scoundrels, and unexcelled marks 
 men. I was no mean performer with a six shooter, 
 having recently won the prize in a contest that had 
 been thrown open to all comers. I had never been 
 under fire, nor had I ever shot at a human being, 
 but the thought of Louise being in such hands gave 
 me the temper of a wounded grizzly. 
 
 The sky cleared about midnight and the moon 
 shone for a couple of hours, giving me an opportun 
 ity to make very good headway. I was satisfied that 
 whether she had been captured by Indians or out 
 laws, they would camp for the night along the only 
 stream of water in that part of the mountains. I 
 knew every foot of the mountains in this vicinity, 
 as I had herded sheep on them for three seasons and 
 I hoped to find the captors at a certain spot which 
 seemed to me best adapted for concealment. The 
 moon sank behind the clouds again. I began to 
 watch for the light of a camp fire, as I had been 
 traveling for five hours, and they could not have 
 more than that length of time the start of me, 
 though they had, no doubt, made better time. 
 
 I judge it was about three o'clock in the morning, 
 when I recognized the surroundings as those where 
 I expected to find my quarry. It was very dark, 
 but I could make out the ledge, where I expected to 
 find them dimly outlined by the faint light of the 
 stars which shone here and there through the clouds, 
 and served to make the darkness of the canyon the 
 more intense. The ledge was accessible only by 
 means of a narrow path which was just wide enough 
 for one horse. After a distance of several hundred 
 feet, it made a sharp turn and widened into a room- 
 like formation, about a hundred feet in width, strewn 
 
 38 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 with huge boulders and covered with an unusually 
 thick growth of scrub pine, which offered excellent 
 defensive possibilities. In this place a fire could not 
 be observed from the main trail, some two hundred 
 feet below. The path which led to it would be 
 known only to those most familiar with the locality, 
 as it began several rods from the trail, and had been 
 traversed by so few, that it would be noticed only 
 by a close observer. 
 
 My judgment told me that I would find a sen 
 tinel where the path began or at the turn where it 
 widened, so I tethered my pony and approached it 
 with the utmost caution. I was disappointed to find 
 no one at the beginning of the path, and with in 
 creased boldness proceeded up toward the turn. 
 
 I had gone half the distance when the odor of 
 tobacco reached me; I was on the right scent and it 
 was exceedingly warm. I knelt down and asked the 
 Lord to make known His will to me, and to give me 
 power to execute it. I had labored much with 
 prayer, and it had been the great disappointment of 
 my life that I had never been visited with a revela 
 tion, which was an everyday occurrence with most of 
 the "Saints," so they claimed. I was again disap 
 pointed, but my excitement had gone, and my head 
 was perfectly cool. 
 
 I crawled noiselessly along the rocky wall, tower 
 ing hundreds of feet over the ledge, which was now 
 buried in the inky darkness which precedes the dawn. 
 I had covered perhaps a hundred feet in this man 
 ner when suddenly, not ten rods away, someone 
 struck a match and I caught a glimpse of a man, 
 sitting with his back to the wall, lighting his pipe. 
 Clearly my presence was not yet suspected. I had 
 formed a plan of attack. It was desperate, but any 
 thing seemed possible when I thought of Louise in 
 39 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 such hands. I hoped to take the sentinel unawares 
 and overpower him without noise; then I would 
 either release Louise and escape with her without 
 waking the sleepers, or at least put some of them 
 out of the fight before it began, in the surprise. 
 
 When the sentinel struck the match, I confess it 
 gave me a start, and I nearly fired. I knew that I 
 had to deal with a man who was very much awake, 
 and I believe the situation that confronted me would 
 have given the woodwise "Hawkeye" food for 
 thought. It was impossible to get much closer with 
 out attracting his attention, as the stillness was 
 acute and the path rocky. If I ordered him to 
 throw up his hands, I could not see whether he 
 obeyed me or not, and there was nothing to prevent 
 him from taking a shot at me, with the sound of my 
 voice to guide him. The red glow of his pipe gave 
 me an advantage, as I could cover him with absolute 
 certainty and this I did, worming toward him on 
 my side. I was within a short distance of him, 
 when I noticed the light of the pipe turn, as if he 
 had turned his head to one side to listen. 
 
 "I have a bead on you," I whispered in a voice that 
 I am sure did not lack in fierceness, though my heart 
 was thumping loudly. 
 
 He shot almost before I had said that much, and 
 I fired with the flash of his gun. I felt my sombrero 
 whisked suddenly from my head, but I was sure I 
 had my man, and now my only possible chance was 
 to get around the turn and drop some of the others, 
 before they got out of the light of the fire, which 
 I was certain they would be sleeping by, as the moun 
 tain air was very cold. 
 
 I moved toward the corner as swiftly as I dared, 
 groping with one hand along the wall of the ledge, 
 and carrying my gun in the other. It was only a 
 40 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 matter of a couple of rods before I saw the light 
 of the fire and at the same time ran into a man with 
 such force that I was nearly knocked down by the 
 collision. I fired as we came together, but the gun 
 was past him at the time, and it was involuntary on 
 my part. However, it was not without results, for 
 I heard someone groan and swear as I was locked in 
 the embrace of the burly giant whom I had encoun 
 tered so rudely. I was a big, strapping lad of six feet, 
 heavy, muscular and sinewy. My antagonist had the 
 advantage of the under hold, and was tall enough 
 and strong enough to use it effectively; but I was 
 more active and desperate. I secured a neck hold 
 and we staggered back into the light of the fire 
 struggling fiercely as we went. I caught a glimpse 
 of Louise, standing with her hands tied, and the end 
 of a rope fastened to a scrub pine. A man 
 crouched behind a rock with a revolver in each 
 hand, leveled toward the turn in the path, and I 
 heard him coolly order someone, whom I could not 
 see, to: "Get him! I will cover the trail." 
 
 The sight of Louise gave me a strength I had 
 never before known, and with a mighty effort I 
 loosened my opponent's hold, got him on the hip. 
 and threw him on the rocky ledge with tremendous 
 force. Before I could recover my balance fully, 
 three others were upon me. One of them struck 
 me a glancing blow on the cheek with his gun, which 
 I scarcely noticed. I eluded him only to come face 
 to face with a bearded giant whose pistol was raised 
 as a club in his right hand. I caught his descending 
 arm with one hand, hitting him full in the face as 
 hard as I could with the other, as he went down. 
 The other, a slim, agile fellow, threw himself upon 
 me, head first. I received him with open arms, pick 
 ing him up as though he were a child of ten, and 
 41 
 
77V THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG 
 
 hurled him on the head of the man crouching behind 
 the boulder. I was rewarded by the sound of hys 
 terical laughter from Louise which sent a thrill of 
 triumph through me. Then in that intstant it seemed 
 as if the world had taken fire and I was falling, fall 
 ing. Then all was dark. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 I AFTERWARDS learned that the big fellow had 
 come up behind me, and returned the blow I had 
 given him, with interest, taking me unawares on the 
 back of the head with his bare fist. When I recov 
 ered consciousness my mind was perfectly clear, and 
 I knew instantly where I was, and what had oc 
 curred. My hands and feet were securely bound, 
 and my head ached to the point of bursting. I 
 turned on my side toward the fire, and saw my 
 enemies, or what was left of them, hastily eating 
 breakfast. Louise had been untied and was list 
 lessly drinking a cup of coffee, out of a tin cup. I 
 turned to the other side and there, not more than 
 five feet away, lay the bodies of two men partially 
 covered with a blanket. It needed no second glance 
 to tell me that they would rob and murder no more. 
 Truly my little visit to these redoubtable bandits had 
 left its mark. I noticed that the bearded giant's nose 
 was smashed and swollen to unbelievable propor 
 tions ; the slender gentleman, whom I had dropped so 
 unceremoniously into the lap of his leader, had his 
 arm in a sling ; another, presumably the one I shot ' 
 when I encountered the fellow in the path, had his 
 head in a bandage. The fellow whom I had given the 
 heavy fall, seemed to have no appetite for his break 
 fast, but preferred to sit and gaze gloomily at the 
 43 
 
IN THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG 
 
 reddening sky, with his hands on his left side a 
 broken rib or two no doubt. I wondered why they 
 had not shot rne, and could not satisfy myself on 
 that point unless they feared they would hit one of 
 their own number in the uncertain light. I was 
 picturing my probable fate, when the leader saun 
 tered over to me, seated himself on a boulder, and 
 lighted a cigarette. 
 
 He was a slim, athletic fellow of perhaps thirty- 
 five, with large, bold black eyes, a fine aquiline nose, 
 and a determined jaw. A little imperial, carefully 
 trimmed, emphasized rather than concealed the thin 
 lips and dazzling teeth. His coal black hair was 
 curly and closely cropped. With his handsome face 
 and perfectly fitting corduroy hunting costume, one 
 might have taken him for an Italian grand opera star, 
 out on a hunting trip. 
 
 "Ah!" he said, "the light is better; I place Mon 
 sieur. He is the son of the Prophet Lorenzo. Did 
 I not see Monsieur riding at the head of a body of 
 young 'Saints' last Pioneer Day?" 
 
 I was angered at his cool, indifferent manner, and 
 the sight of his handsome, sinister face did not make 
 me feel at all comfortable. I recalled his history as 
 told by rumor. His father was a French nobleman 
 of fortune, who had married a half-breed. Jean had 
 been educated in France on the fortune left him by 
 his father. This had been considerable, but was 
 quickly spent when he obtained control of it. He 
 followed his father's example and came to this coun 
 try to recuperate his shattered fortunes, bringing 
 with him an uncontrollable propensity to gamble, 
 which had led him into his present means oi se 
 curing a living. There was scarcely a trace of the 
 Indian blood in his features, but it cropped out in 
 his manner of speaking English. 
 44 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 "You have the advantage of me, sir," I said, as 
 he evidently expected an answer. 
 
 "Yes," he agreed, 'Very much." Will Monsieur 
 hang, or would he prefer to jump over the ledge?" 
 
 "Neither. I believe I have the honor of address 
 ing Monsieur Du Croix, who, if reports are true, 
 would scorn to murder a man in cold blood. Give 
 me a gun and let me prove that I am too good a 
 man to die the death of a dog." 
 
 "I am a French gentleman and do not fight duels 
 with cowards that sneak up and shoot men in the 
 dark," he replied. 
 
 "If you mean your sentinel who smoked," I said 
 holty, "you are mistaken. He fired first, after I 
 warned him that I had the drop on him." 
 
 He arose and throwing back the blanket, took the 
 unfortunate man's gun from his belt and ejected the 
 empty carriage. "Monsieur must bear a charmed 
 life. I never knew Frank to miss before." 
 
 Without a word to me he ordered his men to get 
 on the march, leaving two to bury the unfortu 
 nates. 
 
 I was placed on the horse of their fallen comrade, 
 with my feet bound beneath its belly. Jean took the 
 lead, with Louise next, and the bearded giant just 
 behind her, and the others brought up the rear. 
 
 I had had neither breakfast nor sleep, and we set 
 out at a pace that meant strenuous work for a man 
 in the best of condition. To me, it was torture. We 
 did not even pause until noon, and then camped in 
 the burning sun. They took me from my horse 
 in a semi-conscious condition because of the lack of 
 food and water and extreme exhaustion. I would 
 have died rather than ask for food, fearing a refusal. 
 
 Jean seemed to be most amiable, however, and I 
 was unbound and allowed to eat with them. For 
 45 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 the first time my eyes met Louise's and the look of 
 thanks and encouragement she gave me, did more 
 to revive me than anything else could have done. 
 
 We all ate and drank with the hunger and thirst 
 of animals. When we had finished, Jean produced 
 a gold mounted cigarette case of curious design, 
 and offered me a cigarette. I refused with regret 
 for the first time in my life as I remembered 
 Louise's saying that if she were a man she would 
 smoke. 
 
 "If Monsieur had shot Frank without warning, as 
 I first supposed, we would not now have the pleasure 
 of his company. I have conceived a liking for Mon 
 sieur. Men of courage and prowess appeal to me. 
 You take chances against odds, so do I ; it is a good 
 spirit. I do not wish to kill a brave man unneces 
 sarily. I will make an agreement with Monsieur, and 
 a brave man keeps his agreements. Monsieur will 
 go back on the trail, and tell his friends that Louise 
 is the captive of Jean Du Croix. Monsieur will say 
 that he has given up the chase as hopeless for there 
 are sixty in our band, and that we have scattered in 
 parties of four and five, making it impossible to 
 know with which Louise is. Monsieur has many 
 women. It is his religion. He will not miss one, 
 with so many fair ones to comfort him, and his 
 friend Jean will be grateful. Mademoiselle pre 
 tends to dislike me now; soon she will know 
 Jean Du Croix, and," twisting his mustache, smirk 
 ing and casting what was meant to be a killing glance 
 in her direction, "she will love him." 
 
 I had been inclined to use policy and offer a ran 
 som when I found our captor in so agreeable a state 
 of mind, but the perfidy of his proposal, capped by 
 that smile and smirk banished all thought of compro 
 mise. It was clear that he thought I would be eager 
 
IN THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG 
 
 to accede to such a proposal, else he would not have 
 given me the free use of my limbs. I had certainly 
 given him good cause to know that. I was not back 
 ward in using them to a very excellent advantage in 
 a fight. 
 
 "You yellow-faced blackguard, you call me a brave 
 man, and make such a proposition to me? I love 
 Louise and she is to be my wife, and my only wife. 
 Because of that fact I expect to suffer eternal dam 
 nation. Do you think that any threats of yours 
 could frighten me into giving her up? I will take 
 her with me, if I go back alive, and you and your 
 whole cowardly crew can't stop me." 
 
 "Monsieur is young and excitable. He lacks the 
 wisdom of his father the Prophet, with whom I 
 have often worked," and with these words he threw 
 back his handsome head, and laughed long and 
 loudly, in a manner that set every nerve in my 
 body tingling with rage. 
 
 "Slim," of the broken arm, noticed my anger and 
 fingered his six-shooter significantly. I restrained 
 my impulse to spring upon the merry Jean, who 
 finally composed himself and, with an amused sneer 
 still lingering around his mouth, continued: 
 
 "To hear the son of the Prophet Lorenzo for 
 whom I have waylaid as many as four caravans, ad 
 vised by him as to the time and place to watch for 
 them, and the opposition to be overcome, and to 
 whom I have handed over the women he wanted 
 while I kept the money is what you call 'rich' in 
 English." 
 
 Then, before I had time to reply, he leaned his 
 face close to mine and hissed in a passionless voice, 
 but with blazing eyes, "Dog! Son of a Mormon 
 Dog! You have insulted and defied the son of a 
 French nobleman, for which you shall die the 
 47 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 death of the cur you are. You shall lie behind 
 yonder rock, nicely tied, with a few soaring vul 
 tures to keep you company. I will give you a 
 little of Hell on earth, but will take the fair Louise 
 with me, so there will be no danger of Hell on 
 her account for you in the hereafter. I am Mon 
 sieur's benefactor. I save his " 
 
 He got no further. I jabbed him in the face 
 with all my might, and with surprising quickness. 
 We had both been sitting down at first, but when 
 he leaned toward me, he rose on one knee, and I 
 partly followed his example. His face was not 
 more than two feet from me when I struck him. 
 Simultaneously with the blow, I heard the report 
 of a gun, and felt a ripping shock in the side and 
 back. I did not so much as pause, however, in fol 
 lowing up the blow, which had knocked the hu 
 morous Jean over backwards with me upon him. 
 With one hand at his throat, I struck him 
 viciously in the face with the other. I had struck 
 him the second time, and was about to land a third, 
 when the bearded giant gave me a kick in the ribs 
 with his heavy-booted foot, which doubled me up, 
 with all the breath and strength knocked out of 
 me. I heard another shot, someone fell across 
 me, and I think I lost conciousness for a few sec 
 onds. 
 
 When I came to, the bearded giant was stand 
 ing near me, gazing wildly about him, with the 
 blood streaming down his face. Someone was ty 
 ing my hands behind me. Louise sat with her 
 face in her hands, sobbing convulsively, and Jean, 
 a sadly disfigured Jean was taking an empty 
 cartridge from a smoking thirty-eight caliber re 
 volver. Everything began to whirl; the sky 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG HAM YOUNG 
 
 looked red; the pain in my side was intense; I 
 could scarcely breathe. There was a stinging 
 ache in my back, and my head throbbed. It all 
 seemed very unreal. Jean, coming toward me, ap 
 peared twice his usual size. I vaguely wondered 
 why I had not smashed his fine nose; I had meant 
 to. 
 
 "Dandy Jean!" I laughed. "Dandy Black-eye!" 
 Then the pain ceased and I was dreaming of the 
 brawls of a pirate crew of which I had read in one of 
 Edwards's books. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 When things became real to me again, I was ly 
 ing in bed in the living room of my sister's house. 
 I felt weak, sick and sore all over with no interest 
 in anything that had happened or existed. I knew 
 that something dreadful had occurred, but I did 
 not know or care what. I must have fallen asleep 
 almost immediately, and was awakened by the 
 sound of Dr. Weber's voice. I opened my eyes 
 to look into the merry, kindly grey ones of our 
 jolly old family physician. 
 
 "How now, Sir Knight, have you killed as many 
 of the pirates as you did of the bandits? If your 
 thirst for blood is satisfied, it might be well to try 
 a little broth." 
 
 My sleep had done much for me, and the sight 
 of Louise at the foot of the bed, demurely wishing 
 me a good morning, did more. And with the sight 
 of her the vision of her as I had seen her last, 
 came to me. I tried to sit up in my excitement, 
 only to be taken with a pain in the side and back 
 that stretched me faint and perspiring. 
 
 "No more such moves as that, Joe," said the 
 doctor, soberly. "You have a rather bad side, a 
 few broken ribs and some bad bruises, which will 
 necessitate your lying quiet for a time. That 
 ought not to be irksome, with Louise as a nurse." 
 
 I paid no attention to the doctor, but gazed 
 mutely at Louise. She evidently divined what 
 50 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG HAM YOUNG 
 
 was going on in my mind, for she came to the side 
 of my bed, and told me that we had been rescued 
 by a band of prospectors, at the very moment I 
 sank into unconsciousness. 
 
 "I made a mess of it," I said. 
 
 "If it had not been for you, I would still be in 
 their hands," she replied warmly. You are a 
 brave boy, and oh! such a fighter! Anyone would 
 be proud of such a knight." 
 
 "Ahem !' said the doctor. "It is high time I 
 was on my way. You must lie quiet, Joe, but 
 you need not keep your eyes shut; and I won't 
 tell you not to talk, as the doctors all do on such 
 occasions because I know it would do no good." 
 And he went out, whistling a merry tune that was 
 certainly not a Mormon hymn. 
 
 It was the first time I ever saw Louise show so 
 much as a trace of embarrassment. While very 
 much disconcerted by the doctor's pointed re 
 mark, in regard to my keeping my eyes open, I 
 did not hesitate to take advantage of his leniency 
 in that respect; but at that moment I was too con 
 fused to say a word. Nothing short of a stone 
 image could keep its eyes from Louise at any 
 time, and this morning her fresh dainty loveli 
 ness would have wrung homage from an Egyptian 
 mummy. Her color was heightened a little as 
 she plunged into the details of her capture and our 
 deliverance. 
 
 She had been surprised by Jean while in quest 
 of specimens of rock, in which she was interested. 
 He had approached her in the most casual, offhand 
 manner, and as he appeared a perfect gentleman, 
 she jumped to the conclusion that he was a city 
 man out for a little shooting. His manner was 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG HAM YOUNG 
 
 prepossessing, and he was so agreeable and en 
 tertaining, she thought it no harm to be sociable. 
 When she started for home he became offensively 
 lover-like which made her uneasy at first. She 
 had met Frenchmen and Italians of the so-called 
 better class before, however, and found them al 
 ways agreeable to declare themselves in love with 
 the first pretty face they saw. So she was not 
 seriously alarmed until he seized her horse's 
 bridle, and told her she would have to accompany 
 him on a little picnic whether she cared to or not. 
 She struck him in the face with her quirt and 
 dismounted trying to escape on foot. He over 
 took her, bound her to her horse and brought her 
 into camp. 
 
 It seems our rescuers Mad been attracted by the 
 sound of shots and in the excitement, had ridden 
 up unnoticed, until they had the band covered at 
 so short a range that any attempt at resistance 
 would have been folly. In those days, and in that 
 locality, men were loth to mix in the gun quarrels 
 of others, but the sight of a woman in distress was 
 always every true man's business. Louise quick 
 ly put them in possession of the salient facts of 
 our misfortune; and as soon as they learned that 
 "Dandy Jean" was in their power, being aware of 
 the enormous reward for his capture, digging gold 
 out of the mountains lost its attractiveness. They 
 treated Louise and me with the greatest consider 
 ation, carrying me most of the way on a litter im 
 provised from a canvas tent and poles. 
 
 The days of convalescence which followed were 
 
 dream days for me. Louise read to me much of 
 
 the time, to avoid conversation, I believe, 
 
 sometimes from Browning, Burns or Shakespeare; 
 
 52 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 but usually some romance, as I shamelessly and 
 emphatically avowed a preference for that kind of 
 literature which I had hitherto held in contempt. 
 I wanted to learn the ways of gentile lovers, and 
 felt that Louise must have formed her ideals of 
 lovers and manhood from the heroes of such tales. 
 It only made it harder for me. I experienced the 
 burning, exalted sentiments toward her that they 
 expressed so glibly, but I found it impossible to do 
 and say the things that seemed so natural for 
 them. My desire to convert her to Mormonism 
 was undiminished, but I was afraid to mention the 
 subject for fear of her resuming her former atti 
 tude. Her treatment of me was much the same as 
 that bestowed on Edward Jr., only I did not re 
 ceive the caresses lavished on him, for which I 
 envied the little beggar. 
 
 One afternoon, the second week of my convales 
 cence, Louise was reading the "Lady of the Lake" 
 to me on the veranda, and had reached that part of 
 the combat w r here James Fitz James defied Roder 
 ick and his robber band. "Come one, come all ! 
 this rock shall fly from its firm base as soon as 
 I," she read, and paused to remark that these lines 
 had flashed through her mind the night I had 
 fought "Dandy Jean" and his band, single-handed. 
 At that moment we were most inopportunely in 
 terrupted. I'd just nerved myself to make a dec 
 laration of my love, the swinging rhythm of the 
 poetry had given the inspiration, and Louise's 
 cordial mood the courage when Henry and moth 
 er rode up in a buckboard. I was glad to see my 
 mother but felt the pleasure would have been en 
 hanced had it been deferred an hour or so. Mother 
 was always shy in the presence of strangers but 
 
 53 
 
IN THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG 
 
 her diffidence quickly wore off under Louise's en 
 gaging smile and tactful manner. 
 
 When Henry had secured his team and joined 
 us on the veranda, it was not without a feeling 
 of pride that I introduced him to Louise as my 
 father. However, I felt a vague sense of uneasi 
 ness, for I knew their coming foreshadowed my 
 early departure from Dreamland to sordid real 
 ity. But I little dreamed that this visit would have 
 the far reaching effect on my future that actually 
 resulted. 
 
 When I presented him to Louise, he uncovered 
 his handsome head, bowed deferentially with the 
 courtly grace for which he was noted, and tak 
 ing in her face and figure with one quick appre 
 ciative glance, said in his deep well modulated 
 voice, 
 
 "I came to condole with my son in his misfor 
 tune, in being forced to lie still this ideal 
 weather, but I find he is more to be envied than 
 pitied. Find me the young man who would not 
 endure twice the danger and pain for the privi 
 lege of being nursed by so charming a young 
 lady." 
 
 His manner and tone of voice robbed the re 
 mark of undue familiarity and took it out of the 
 category of florid compliment. Nevertheless, it irri 
 tated me. 
 
 Louise had been discreetly observing him with 
 much the same expression I had noticed on her 
 face when she was examining a new specimen of 
 rock, which she could not for the moment classify. 
 
 "I fear you exaggerate the importance of my 
 efforts in the care of your son, which, I am sure 
 is but a small return for the risks he encountered 
 for my sake." 
 
 54 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 I could see that Henry was impressed with 
 the cool, indifferent assurance with which she an 
 swered him. He smiled benevolently at us, and 
 picked up the "Lady of the Lake," which Louise 
 had laid down. With a glance at the title he shot 
 a reproving glance in my direction, then turned 
 to Louise and said: 
 
 "I see your taste for reading is inclined toward 
 what is called good literature. There was a time 
 in my boyhood when I thought such reading worth 
 while. I have learned, however, that one has 
 scarcely enough time, after the day's work in the 
 upbuilding of the Kingdom, to read God's word, 
 and the word of his prophets. This reading," tap 
 ping the book with his finger, "diverts the 
 thoughts from the true faith, and gives rise to 
 unrighteous and sinful ideas. I hope that some 
 time some saintly genius of fiction and poetry will 
 put the soul-stirring deeds of God's saints into 
 verse. I trust Joseph has not neglected the op 
 portunity of sowing the seed of the true faith on 
 the fertile soil of your quick intellect." 
 
 As he progressed in this condescending manner, 
 I knew by the way Louise's neck began to arch, 
 that we were getting into deep water, and it was 
 with an undutiful feeling of pleasurable anticipa 
 tion that I waited for the biting sarcasm which I 
 knew would be soon stinging his thick-hided com 
 placency. 
 
 Louise looked at him composedly without a 
 trace of resentment in her innocent blue eyes 
 (which innocence was treacherously misleading). 
 
 "From what I have heard of your faith," she 
 replied, "I am sure that you are not lacking in re 
 ligious fiction. Your son did, I believe, once at 
 tempt to sow the seed of your faith in my direc- 
 55 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 tion, but he has never repeated the attempt. It 
 found a luxurious growth of real religion which 
 is utilizing all the soil available, a religion that 
 courts investigation and favors education; that 
 looks with a kindly eye on the reading of brave 
 deeds of honest men and women ; and with an 
 eye of scorn on the hypocrite and false prophet." 
 
 The expression on Henry's face changed from ur 
 bane complacency, first to angry resentment, then 
 to the deferential courtesy he reserved for a worthy 
 opponent, and one whom he had determined to 
 punish. 
 
 He smiled with a splendid semblance of in 
 dulgence, saying, "You are in no mood for un 
 biased discussion of religion. I hope for a more 
 auspicious opportunity to talk of the matter with 
 you again. Won't you tell me something of your 
 self and your life in St. Louis?" 
 
 Louise, evidently feeling that she had scored a 
 victory, and always ready to talk of home, read 
 ily complied. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 HENRY and Edward carried me into the dining 
 room, where, lying propped up on the couch near 
 the table, I could in a measure join them in the 
 evening meal. I noticed that Edward's attitude 
 of disturbed uneasiness, always discernible when 
 in the presence of his father-in-law, was more 
 marked than usual. I attributed it to the fact 
 that as the meal progressed, Henry devoted his 
 conversation to Louise, who seemed to be in an 
 unusually vivacious mood. Edward listened to 
 their spirited repartee, with downcast eyes, eat 
 ing little. My mother and sister talked in the 
 subdued whispers used by inferiors in the pres 
 ence of their superiors, while I had little appetite 
 for the dainty repast prepared for me by the lov-. 
 ing hands of my mother, and composed of the 
 things she knew I liked best. 
 
 I had begun to feel that nothing good would 
 come of this meeting between Henry and Louise. 
 The more I thought of the possible consequences, 
 the more terrified I became. The interested, gal 
 lant gaiety with which he led the conversation, 
 did not tend to lessen my fear, which far tran 
 scended that which I had experienced in my ad 
 ventures with the outlaws. While battling with 
 them, I seemed to have an inner consciousness 
 that all would be well in the end ; but here was an 
 unexpected and seemingly ridiculous sense of dan- 
 57 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG HAM YOUNG 
 
 ger that refused to be quieted. I attempted to re 
 assure myself with the thought that I was absurd 
 ly jealous of my own father, who was, no doubt, 
 making himself agreeable as a preparation for 
 sowing the seed of our faith. 
 
 I was in a position to watch Henry's animated 
 face, and, for the first time in my life I began to 
 study this man who had brought me into the 
 world, and whose word to me was obeyed as law. 
 I watched the changing expressions on his face, 
 and in the light of past events, tried to acquaint 
 myself with his character as it really was. It had 
 dawned on me that, like my mother, I had always 
 looked up to him as a powerful instrument of 
 God, who could do no wrong. My reading and 
 my conversations with Louise and Edward, had 
 given me a new prospective, and it occurred to 
 me that he might not be what he seemed. At this 
 juncture Louise suddenly inquired what had be 
 come of "Dandy Jean." 
 
 I thought I noticed Henry's starting at the un 
 expected question, but his offhand answer dis 
 pelled the impression. 
 
 "I believe he managed to escape shortly after 
 being turned over to the authorities. Was not 
 that the report, Sister?" turning to my mother, 
 who assented. 
 
 He did not seem to relish the topic and changed 
 the subject by remarking that, he hoped Edward 
 had prevailed upon his niece to make her home in 
 "Zion." 
 
 I thought I detected a note of defiance in Ed 
 ward's voice as he replied: "My niece came here as 
 my guest for the mountain air during vacation, and 
 because she had no more suitable place to go. She 
 
 58 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 came with the understanding that she was to re 
 turn at her pleasure and that I was to see her safe 
 ly back to St. Louis." 
 
 Whatever Henry's thoughts were, he did not al 
 low a hint of them to appear in his face. I 
 now believe he must have observed me watching 
 him intently, for with the diplomatic resourceful 
 ness that made him more formidable than any other 
 quality, he remarked: 
 
 "It is possible that Joseph may be able to offer an 
 argument that will convince Miss Louise's judg 
 ment," and he cast a sly, merry glance in my direc 
 tion. 
 
 That remark served to lull the suspicions that 
 had begun to grow in my mind. I began to feel 
 ashamed for entertaining such unworthy thoughts 
 of so great and good a man. A little flattery on 
 the subject which is uppermost in the mind of the 
 flattered, and nearest to the heart, works won 
 ders, especially wth a lad of eighteen who is very 
 much in love. 
 
 I could not see Louise's face, as her back was 
 toward me, but I could imagine the indifferent 
 composure thereon as she replied, "Your remark 
 is most flattering, Mr. Lorenzo. Indeed, I am 
 led to suspect that while yon have been too busy in 
 the work of the Kingdom, as you call it, to de 
 vote any time to literature, you must have found 
 ample time to cultivate the very difficult art of 
 properly flattering the vanity of the feminine sex. 
 But no doubt that all comes in a Prophet's day's 
 work. You will be indulgent, I know, if I appear 
 very ignorant of your customs." 
 
 At this juncture, Edward and his wife rose from 
 the table, followed by the others, and Edward 
 59 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 turned the conversation into less dangerous chan 
 nels. 
 
 Such remarks from Louise were two edged, and 
 cut me more keenly than they ever could Henry. 
 It wounded me deeply to hear the woman I loved 
 uttering veiled, but none the less scathing asper 
 sions on the good faith of my people and their 
 religion. I spent many hours that night tossing 
 about on my bed, trying to devise some means of 
 approaching the subject of religion with Louise, 
 without offending and antagonizing her and so los 
 ing the ground I had gained. These thoughts oc 
 cupied my mind so fully, that I forgot Henry and 
 the fears I had entertained earlier in the evening. 
 
 The next morning Henry came to my room at 
 the first break of day. He told me that he was 
 going back to the city, and would send the buck- 
 board and team after mother and me in the course 
 of a few days, as the doctor had told him that I 
 could be moved in that time. Then, sitting down 
 on the bed, he became very grave. 
 
 "My son, it is high time that you set out on a mis 
 sion to spread the revelations which God, in his in 
 finite wisdom, has seen fit to reveal to the Latter Day 
 Saints. Indeed, it has been revealed to me this njght 
 that the Lord has willed you should go. Has not the 
 Spirit visited you, too, my son?" 
 
 His grave saintly manner brought me back, to a 
 certain extent under the influence of his will, as noth 
 ing else could have done. For the past four or five 
 years I had waited longingly for the call to go 
 out on a mission ; but now that the path lay open 
 before me, it was with difficulty and without en 
 thusiasm that I assured him of my willingness to 
 answer the call. 
 
 60 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG HAM YOUNG 
 
 No trace of what was going on in his mind ap 
 peared on his stern, handsome face as he said : "You 
 were ever a dutiful son, ardent in the faith and 
 obedient to the word. May you ever be so. Such 
 qualities will carry you far in this world, and secure 
 you a brilliant crown in the world to come. It will 
 be best for you to return to town as soon as you 
 are able, that you may begin the work of prepar 
 ing for your departure." 
 
 He then knelt down beside my bed and prayed 
 long and exhaustively, but with a fervor and spon 
 taneity I have never heard equalled in extempo 
 raneous prayer. He arose, shook hands, and de 
 parted without another word. I would soon have 
 to leave the sweet presence of the girl I loved, and 
 the thought of leaving her filled me with a sense 
 of utter desolation. Ther it occurred to me that I 
 might carry on my mission work in the east where 
 she was teaching, and this possibility filled me with 
 hope. In any event, I would ask her to be my wife 
 before I left. 
 
 I believe that everyone was relieved to find that 
 Henry had left certainly, Edward was unusually 
 jovial. 
 
 The next few days offered no opportunity to talk 
 with Louise alone. 
 
 The evening before I left that valley of enchant 
 ment, however, the longed-for but dreaded oppor 
 tunity presented itself. I was now able to walk 
 with the aid of a cane. The others had all retired 
 early, leaving Louise and me sitting on the ve 
 randa. The fact that she remained to talk with me, 
 after the others had left, sent my spirits soaring. 
 
 We sat in silence for several minutes before I 
 had sufficiently composed myself to speak. It has 
 61 
 
IN THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG 
 
 ever been my way to plunge directly to the point ; 
 and, I am afraid, never in the history of the world 
 was there a more brutally matter-of-fact declara 
 tion of love and offer of marriage. I am certain no 
 lover ever felt that fact more keenly, or longed for 
 the easy grace and silver tongue of the gallant sup 
 pliant more than I. 
 
 We had been sitting but a few feet apart when 
 I began to speak, and I leaned toward her, drink 
 ing in the spiritual beauty of her face, bathed in 
 the bright moonlight. She did not move or speak 
 for some time. Finally she turned her beautiful 
 face toward me, and said softly: 
 
 "I have suspected this for some time, Joe," (that 
 name on her lips gave me a thrill of joy such as I 
 had never experienced) "and I am sorry. I believe 
 you are as true, good, and pure minded a boy as I 
 have ever met, but your religion makes an abso 
 lutely insurmountable barrier." 
 
 I started to speak, but she interrupted. 
 
 "Don't, Joe, I am very fond of you and it would 
 hurt me to hear you defend what I know to be 
 false and wicked. Don't misunderstand me. I 
 believe you are absolutely sincere in your beliefs, 
 and that you are the helpless victim of the sins of 
 the father, for which you are not accountable. You 
 are about to set out on what you call a mission, 
 which will carry you out into the world that is my 
 world. You will see more apparent wickedness 
 there, I regret to say, than you would ever see in 
 "Zion." It is not because of our religion, how 
 ever, but in spite of it. Men and women may 
 choose, there, whether they will live a life of good 
 or of evil. I believe, yes, I know that the doctrine 
 of plural marriage which is one of the essential 
 62 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG HAM YOUNG 
 
 dogmas of your faith, is wicked and in defiance to 
 the laws of God and man. I am going to ask you 
 to do something which I hope will some day bring 
 about our mutual happiness. While you are on 
 your mission, make a study of what you call the 
 gentile religion. Attend the churches there, and 
 seek out the learned men of the gospel, and see if 
 the religion you espouse so warmly will withstand 
 the tests of logic and the uncontrovertible facts of 
 history. Visit Palmyra, New York, and learn from 
 the old residents what manner of man this Joseph 
 Smith, who started your belief, was. In short, in 
 vestigate your religion, which you make the ruling 
 law of your life. If it is genuine, it will withstand 
 these tests. Then come to me, and if you honestly 
 believe in it, I will, perhaps, listen to you. Will 
 you promise to do that for me, Joe?" 
 
 Gladly I assented with fervor. But before I could 
 say anything further, she arose, and with a tender, 
 "Thank you. Good night," retreated quickly into 
 the house. I followed and sought my bed, not to 
 rest, but to lie awake and live again the scene that 
 had just ensued. 
 
 The next day Henry arrived in the buckboard, 
 leading a saddled horse behind him. He said he 
 intended to inspect some mining claims farther up 
 the canyon, which would take a day or two, and 
 that mother and I could drive home alone. His 
 attitude toward Louise was so changed that the 
 sense of danger, aroused anew at his intention to 
 remain there, was again lulled. He treated her 
 with a distant, preoccupied indifference. 
 
 I had no opportunity for another talk with 
 Louise alone. I suspect she avoided it. However, 
 she managed to give me a little package, unnoticed, 
 63 
 
IN THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG 
 
 with instructions not to open it until I was well on 
 my way eastward. She said also, that her address 
 was in the package. 
 
 She rode along the trail with us on horse-back for 
 a mile or so. I like to remember her as I saw her 
 that day, her lithe little figure perched gracefully on 
 the spirited old roan; a sombrero sitting jauntily at 
 an angle on her head which was turned a little to 
 one side; a stray lock of soft brown hair flirting 
 about her face, first across the blue eyes, then touch 
 ing the dainty lips, to be caught by her tiny, gaunt- 
 leted hand, and brushed carelessly under her hat. 
 Only one of the masters could have done her justice. 
 She waved gaily as a turn in the trail hid her from 
 view. 
 
PART II 
 
PART II 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 TWO months later I was seated in the day coach of 
 an east-bound train, gazing out of the window with 
 unseeing eyes, vainly trying to readjust my sense of 
 proportion to the magnitude of the country I had 
 travelled through. Before I left "Zion," I had re 
 ceived my first lessons in geography, and much advice 
 and information as to the life and customs of the 
 people with whom I was to mingle and to teach. I 
 had ridden horseback as far as Denver, and up to 
 that time, all went famously. I was at home in the 
 mountains, and traveling in an accustomed manner. 
 But when the ugly snorting engine of modern travel 
 sped across the bare, forbidding prairies to the east 
 ward, taking me from the world I knew and loved, 
 to the world unknown, and beginning to be dreaded, 
 the full realization of my position burst upon me. 
 
 If the reader has ever left home and loved ones 
 to seek a fortune in a strange land, without funds 
 and without so much as an acquaintance in the fields 
 of his future activities, he will understand the over 
 powering sense of desolation that fell upon me; if 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG HAM YOUNG 
 
 not no words can convey to the inexperienced, one- 
 tenth part of that feeling. It was more like a hide 
 ous dream to my excited fancies than a stern reality 
 The cheerfulness of some of my fellow travellers, the 
 preoccupation of others, and the indifference of all to 
 those about them, added to my feeling of isolated 
 loneliness. I was accustomed to greeting every man 
 I met as brother and receiving the same cordial 
 recognition. In the bustling city of Chicago I was 
 buffeted about by the crowd at the station, and quite 
 generally cursed for my awkwardness. No atten 
 tion was paid to me, unless I happened to get in 
 the way. I was as unfamiliar with travelling as 
 though I had just landed from Mars. Truly this 
 was a selfish, brutal and unrighteous world, with 
 large opportunities for the teaching of the better 
 ing influences of God's ways. I had come to this 
 con-elusion, and was wondering how so intelligent and 
 refined a person as Louise could call this her world, 
 when my thoughts were interrupted by the occupant 
 of the seat opposite me. 
 
 He had turned the back of the seat over and 
 stretched himself out for a nap, snoring lustily. I 
 had become accustomed to being near people and 
 ignoring their presence so gave him no special at 
 tention, until he addresed me. 
 
 "Say, Bill, how's yer smokin'?" 
 
 I turned and noted he was a youth of about my 
 own age. His loud plaid suit was very much soiled 
 and wrinkled, but he wore a pair of low-cut patent 
 bather shoes and a tie of brilliant red. His face was 
 such as I have since learned to classify as that of a 
 fast young man, who is without means to keep up 
 the momentum, "a would-be sport" to use a collo 
 quial expression. Despite that, there was something 
 prepossessing about his appearance ; a certain good- 
 rn tii red, worldly-wise, friendly tolerance in the ex- 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 pression of his eyes, that, inexperienced as I was, 
 caused me to feel that, in spite of his dress and man 
 ner, he was one who could be trusted, and one who 
 had seen much of the world. 
 
 "If you mean tobacco/' I replied, "I never use it." 
 
 "Huh," he said, with some disappointment, look 
 ing at me with interest. ''Where ud ya come from? 
 What's yer line?" 
 
 "I came from Zion. As to what my line is, I do 
 not understand you," I replied. 
 
 "Zion ! Where tha devil's that ? Place the Meth- 
 dist is always hollerin' 'bout? What da ya do?" 
 
 "I am a Latter Day Saint, working for God and 
 His Kingdom," I answered proudly. 
 
 "A saint! Working fer Gawd! Got a d stidy 
 
 job, ain't ya? Yer the first home-grown saint I've 
 run in ta. Most of them iz dagoes, ain't they? 
 What's the graft?" 
 
 "I do not understand all you say, but I hope my 
 work in the service of the Lord will go on forever." 
 
 He seemed to pay very little attention to my an 
 swers, and surveyed me with a critical stare, which 
 was robbed of some of its rudeness by the interested 
 solicitude of his expression. 
 
 "Them's purty good rags ya got there," he said 
 after a moment of silence, "and ya look like three 
 square meals reg'lar. Now saint business must be a 
 purty fair lay." 
 
 I was somewhat irritated by his easy familiarity, 
 and the fact that I could not understand all he said. 
 He paused a minute, and as I did not answer, asked 
 with a sly twinkle in his eye: "Preach some?" 
 
 I answered rather coldly that I was setting out on 
 a mision to preach the will of God as revealed to the 
 Latter Day Saints. 
 
 "Ain't got ya yet," he said with a puzzled frown. 
 
 69 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG PI AM YOUNG 
 
 "What brand of truth iz this Latter Day Saint gos 
 pel ?" He pronounced the word "gospel" in a 
 way that was intended to give me the impression 
 that he was not so ignorant of religion as I may have 
 thought. 
 
 It occurred to me then that we were known to the 
 Gentile world as Mormons, so I said : "We are called 
 Mormons by the Gentiles. Perhaps you have heard 
 of us by that name." 
 
 "By the Gentiles ?" he blinked. Then with a broad, 
 knowing smile: "Quit yer kiddin' me, pal. Whacher 
 doin', sellin' da clodhings? Ain't ya a 'clodhings- 
 house' man?" 
 
 "But I do not understand you/ 
 
 "Ain't ya a sheeny?" he asked rather sheepishly. 
 
 "You are beyond my depth, my friend," I re 
 plied completely at sea; "but by the people who are 
 not of our faith, we are called Mormons." 
 
 "Ah, now I got ya," he sighed, apparently much 
 relieved, and with this, he straightened up with ani 
 mation saying, "Sure! Read about ya in a Sunday 
 paper, a little while ago." Then, poking me with his 
 finger he genially inquired: "How many ya got?" 
 
 "How many what?" Again I was puzzled. 
 
 "Wives, dames, fluzies," he said, with an impatient 
 wave of the hand. 
 
 "I am not married yet," I answered with frigid 
 dignity. "Saints do not marry until they are able 
 to support their wives and children." 
 
 I believe he had mental reservations, as to the ver 
 acity of my answer. 
 
 "Where ya goin' for converts?" 
 
 "To New York." 
 
 "What! New York City?" 
 
 "No, I intend to stop at Palmyra, New York, and 
 visit, the place where the great Prophet Joseph Smith 
 
 70 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BR1GHAM YOUNG 
 
 was first visited by a revelation from the Most High-: 
 and emulate his example, by starting to teach there." 
 
 "I was goin' to say, that the big town would be 
 a bad huntin' ground for a wheater like youse. If 
 ya got the price ta git there, keep it in yer geens, 
 'cause yer graft won't go there. Ya wouldn't make 
 'nough ta keep yer in cakes, not ta talk about any 
 wives. Say !" brightening up and fairly glowing 
 with enthusiasm, "tell ya what I'll do. I'm busted. 
 Let's hook up. I have my 'ups and downs.' Just 
 at the present writin' I'm down. I ain't never 
 missed no meals yet, but I've had to posepone 
 several. I'll do a song and dance stunt to git the 
 crowd, and while yer a preachin', I'll pass around 
 the hat and rake in the shekels an' we'll split the 
 mazuma equals. I'm experienced ! Done the stunt 
 for a patent medicine man all through Jersey last 
 summer. I had a lot of songs an' jokes that made 
 the potato-bug wallapers in Jersey tear their whisk 
 ers out a laughin'. What da ya say?" 
 
 "It is my duty to enlist everyone that I can in 
 our cause, but not for the purpose of gain. If you 
 are truly interested in our faith, and desire to be 
 come a worker in the Kingdom, I shall be glad and 
 proud to teach you the principles that govern our 
 lives. You will find it irksome at first, as we have 
 a high standard of morals. We do not believe in 
 the use of tobacco or stimulants, and are guided 
 by God's will in our every action." 
 
 I felt in duty bound to encourage him ; but I 
 also felt that he was not the type of man- I wanted 
 to attract to our cause. I thought myself very 
 diplomatic in calling to his attention the things 
 that I thought would frighten him away. 
 
 "Sure !' he said, with enthuisasm, "that's the way 
 
 71 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 ta do business. I was in a strike wonst, and I was 
 that hottest one in the bunch at makin' times lively. 
 If yer goin' in with a bunch, be the hottest one for 
 the hottest things. That's the way to git where 
 you'll be in sight. Now in this saint business, my 
 way of figurin' is ta take all of tha hot subjects an' 
 keep 'em pipin' hot. If ya believe this feller Smith, 
 shout loud an' hard for 'im ; if ya believe in more 
 than one wife, hang out for as many as a dozen 
 anyhow. The feller that hollers loudest for the 
 noisiest things iz the one that makes the folks set 
 up and notice. I'm sick of tha sportin' life. A 
 good trip on tha water wagin with religion fer a 
 bracer ought a put me in trim in a couple a 
 months." 
 
 "If you are sincere, and intend to lead a new life, 
 following our teachings with a humble and obe 
 dient desire to help in the work of the Kingdom, 
 wich no thought of gain to yourself, I will give 
 you the book of Mormon, and articles written by 
 holy men, that you may know the truth of the 
 only true religion. If you are still anxious to be 
 come one of us, you may go to Zion, or stay here 
 among the gentiles and work for the faith. As for 
 your proposal that we travel together, I do not be 
 lieve it feasible. I do not expect to preach much. 
 I intend to go quietly from house to house, telling 
 people of our ways and good works, and leaving 
 tracts with the true principles of Christianity at 
 each home. If, after I have been in a community 
 for some time, there is a sufficient number inter 
 ested to warrant it, I will preach to the people as 
 sembled in some proper place." 
 
 "You'll find that purty slow ,and the coin mighty 
 scarce. Now my idea iz business-like, an* up ta 
 72 
 
IN THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG 
 
 date : Ya can leave yer tracks over the hull country 
 in the day time an' git in the park of the nearest 
 village at night. I'll stir up the noise an' git the 
 crowd, and you give 'em the talk, an' I'll pass the 
 lid." 
 
 It is an inflexible rule of the Mormons that their 
 missionaries shall pay their own way, and not re 
 ceive aid in any way, shape, or form from home. 
 It is the custom for the father of a missionary to 
 hold a reception at the stake-house the night before 
 the missionary sets out, and invite all friends, rela 
 tives and neighbors to attend, all of whom are ex- 
 nected to donate a small sum toward paying the 
 expenses of the missionary to the field of his ac 
 tivity. This custom was followed in my case, and 
 I was greatly surprised at the amount, which to 
 talled over three hundred dollars. I have since 
 concluded that Henry wanted to make sure that I 
 would begin my work a long distance from home, 
 and swelled the collection from his pocket. And, 
 too, he gave me a horse, which I disposed of in 
 Denver for one hundred dollars. 
 
 The enthusiasm of my new friend was infec 
 tious. Besides, I longed for the opportunity to 
 speak in public, as I was imbued with the idea that 
 I had extraordinary powers along this line. Then, 
 too , I was inexpressibly lonely, and the happy, 
 world-wise, good-fellowship of this young man 
 appealed to me in spite of the fact that he was in 
 many respects, repellent. We finally agreed, just 
 before the train pulled into Buffalo, to cast our 
 fortunes in together, and to separate when either 
 party became dissatisfied. 
 
 "We'll bind the bargain by tellin' our real 
 names,' said he. "Mine's Tom Craig. Shake!" 
 73 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 We left Buffalo the next morning provided with 
 a ticket for Lyons, N. Y. Tom persuaded me that 
 it would be best to defer my visit to Palmyra for 
 the season during which we could hold open-air 
 meetings would be brief as fall would soon turn 
 into winter. He had "played" all the towns along 
 the line of the New York Central Railway, and 
 was acquainted with the temperament of the peo 
 ple. We decided on Lyons as Tom thought it the 
 most attractive field. The people were largely Ger 
 man and less apt to treat us roughly than at Pal 
 myra. 
 
 "These crout-fed sod-rippers like music, and if 
 ya can git an old joke through their noodles, they'll 
 laugh the real estate out from under their finger 
 nails that's been 'cumulatin' there fer the last ten 
 years, every time they tore the weeds outa the 
 beets and barley. They'r bullheads, but they'r great 
 fellers to listen to new ideas, an' figure 'bout 'em, 
 an' they'r just as apt to be with ya as 
 against ya. Don't ya never say nothin* 'bout 
 beer, that's a little ahead of religion with Dutch 
 men, an' besides beer is good for 'em, and they 
 know they git fat on it, so stow the beer talk." 
 
 I conceive it unnecessary to go into details of my 
 experience as a Mormon missionary ; I will simply 
 give the reader a brief sketch of the salient inci- 
 74 
 
IN THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG 
 
 dents which, I believe, had a tendency to shake my 
 faith in Mormonism. 
 
 Tom's plan failed; not because he did not suc 
 ceed in attracting and amusing a crowd, but be 
 cause they would not listen to the doctrine of Mor 
 monism. It was a keen disappointment to us both, 
 and we reluctantly decided to part company. Tom 
 left for Syracuse, leaving me alone again. I missed 
 him. He was one to whom a living had always 
 come by hard knocks, yet he was not in the least 
 soured on humanity, had a rich sense of humor which 
 carried him over many an obstacle, and he bore no 
 one illwill. He had a kindly, genial good feeling to 
 ward all whom he met, nnd he will live long in my 
 memory. I like to remember an amusing incident 
 which happened on our arrival in Buffalo and which 
 typified his attitude toward the world. Tom received 
 a letter from an acquaintance who owed him a couple 
 dollars. He came to our room with the letter in 
 hand, and grinning handed it to me. I perused it 
 casually, but could note nothing in its contents 
 to cause merriment. It simply read: 
 
 "Please find enclosed two dollars in currency 
 which I borrowed from you some time ago. Many 
 thanks, old Top." 
 
 "Yours," etc. 
 
 "Well," I said, somewhat nonplused, "I can't see 
 the joke to this." 
 
 "But he never enclosed the two plunks," he 
 laughed, "an* I wrote back on a postal card: 
 
 " 'Please find enclosed a receipt for the said two 
 dollars which ya never sent/ 
 
 " 'Yours, Tom/ " 
 
 75 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG HAM YOUNG 
 
 I set about my missionary work according to my 
 original design, following the usual tactics of Mor 
 mon missionaries by going from house to house 
 leaving tracts. Whenever I engaged a person in 
 conversation, I always brought the subject around 
 to religion. But for the most part I met with a 
 negative interest. I made not a single convert dur 
 ing the two weeks I plodded doggedly from house 
 to house, sometimes in the village and sometimes in 
 the country. 
 
 One morning I approached a kindly, benevolent 
 old man on his veranda, with my usual introduc 
 tory remarks. He asked me to take a chair and 
 proceeded to draw me out. I waxed warm with 
 my subject, encouraged by the intelligent interest 
 shown in his mild blue eyes. When I finished, he 
 said gently, with a trace of German accent: 
 
 "My boy, you are not a fool, nor a rogue, nor a 
 hypocrite ; I surmise that as a victim of circum 
 stance, you inherited a false doctrine. You are at 
 least of average intelligence, so could not have been 
 proselyted into a creed which is so palpably false, 
 and so easily proven to be such. Since you pre 
 sume to claim yours to be the only true faith, let 
 me counsel you to investigate the origin of that 
 faith ; especially as you are so near to the place 
 where it originated. Visit Palmyra, it is but a short 
 distance from here and learn how your prophet 
 Smith was regarded by men who knew him well. 
 But, my son, you must not allow the discovery of 
 the fact that your prophet Smith was a rogue to 
 shake your faith in God." 
 
 He rose, and with a friendly pat on the shoulder, 
 wished me good day and went into the house. I 
 afterwards learned that he was a retired Presby 
 terian minister. This was the third time I had been 
 
 76 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 told to investigate my religion by people, who, I had 
 reasons to believe, wished me well and who spoke 
 from intelligent information on the subject. I deter 
 mined to follow their advice, and thus to be armed 
 with the best of answers in event of someone else's 
 making a similar suggestion. Besides, I had prom 
 ised Louise to do that very thing. 
 
 On opening the package Louise had given me, I 
 found a copy of the New Testament and the Book of 
 Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church. I had 
 put off the perusal of these books until I had an 
 opportunity to first visit Palmyra. I determined to 
 carry out this design immediately and the following 
 Sunday visited the city of the "Immortal Joseph/' 
 
 Early Sunday morning I arrived in Palmyra and 
 made my way at once up the main street to the 
 hotel. This was a large building, surmounted by a 
 square cupola. Huge white columns supported the 
 double porches, and wide steps led up to the en 
 trance. Everything that met my notice was of in 
 terest, for was it not here that God's own greatest 
 Prophet had lived? 
 
 I resolved first of all to make a pilgrimage to 
 Smith's old home, and to the Hill of Cumorah, on 
 the summit of which God had revealed Himself to 
 Joseph, and delivered the golden plates into his 
 hands. I learned that the hill was about three and 
 a half miles south of the town, and I decided to walk 
 the distance like a true pilgrim. 
 
 The church bells were ringing as I left the vil 
 lage, and I met numerous conveyances loaded with 
 country folk driving to church, as I stepped joyously 
 along the dusty country road. My heart was light 
 and my head was full of plans for the future. I felt 
 that I was approaching sacred ground, and that now 
 if ever I would be visited with a revelation on this 
 77 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 holy spot. With this thought, I quickened my steps 
 and presently came upon a farm house, set back 
 from the road. A boy was riding an old horse down 
 a lane by the road to a watering trough, and I ac 
 costed him. 
 
 "an you tell me how far it is to Mormon Hill?" 
 I asked, knowing that it was termed thus by the Gen 
 tiles. 
 
 "Sure, jest yonder," with a jerk of his thumb to 
 ward the rear of the house. 
 
 I was not a little disappointed in its size. Accus 
 tomed to the mountains of the west, I had been an 
 ticipating an elevation far above that of its fellows. 
 Still it was larger than its neighbors and seemed to be 
 set apart from them. It extends north and south and 
 is much longer than it is wide. From every side it 
 slopes up to the summit giving it the appearance of 
 a huge cone. 
 
 Before ascending the hill, I knelt beneath a large 
 tree at the base and prayed that a revelation from 
 heaven might come to me on this holy hill, that 
 would prove beyond doubt or question that mine 
 was the true faith and that this was the place of its 
 inception. 
 
 I arose from my knees, strengthened and encour 
 aged, imbued with the faith that God, through some 
 means natural or divine, would give me some un 
 mistakable sign or proof of what I sought. It was 
 with a high pulse and a sense of tingling expectancy, 
 that I reached the summit. What was my disappoint 
 ment to find nothing particularly striking but an old 
 man "salting" a small flock of sheep. I was discon 
 certed for the moment, but he did not notice me un 
 til I had regained my composure. 
 
 "Fine day," he said, when he observed me. 
 
 Instantly I resolved to conceal the fact that I was 
 
 78 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG HAM YOUNG 
 
 a Mormon until I had sounded him as to his memory 
 of Joseph Smith, if by chance his memory served 
 him that far. 
 
 I agreed with his opinion of the weather and re 
 marked that I believed the hill we stood upon, was 
 of some historical interest. 
 
 He grunted, pushed his hat back on his head and 
 regarded me thoughtfully out of a pair of kindly but 
 quizzical grey eyes. "History 'nough fer some poor 
 devils. Stranger in these parts, I reckon?" 
 
 "Yes, I am stopping in town for a few days, and 
 was told that this hill was one of the spots of interest. 
 Some sort of a book was dug up here was it not ?" 
 
 "Huh, that's what Joe Smith said, but no one out 
 side o' him and a few cronies saw it. See that little 
 rise o' ground ?" pointing toward the north where the 
 summit was slightly elevated. "Notice that bare spot 
 'round the hole in the ground? That's where they 
 claims the golden plates was dug up. Mormons sez 
 that no grass won't never grow there, and none does. 
 But the reason's plain 'nough. Them ere sheep keeps 
 that hole there. Summer time flies pester 'em most 
 to death. Then they gits in that hole an' paws the 
 dirt to keep the flies away. I let the cattle up here 
 too and what the sheep don't do, they does. But 
 law! the way them Mormons come here and kneels 
 down and prays in the dirt, is 'nough to split yer 
 sides !" He threw his head back and indulged in a fit 
 of silent laughter ; puckering his mouth up in a funny 
 little bow and ending his mirth with a smack of his 
 lips. ...:_ 
 
 "Don't you think they are sincere?" I asked, se 
 cretly nettled by his light remarks, but determined to 
 carry out my purpose. 
 
 "Sincere ? Well, I reckon the wimmen is, or they 
 wouldn't put up with what they does. But the men 
 79 
 
IN THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG 
 
 what started it ! Law save us ! Joe Smith knew 
 what he was about, even if he didn't have no sense." 
 
 "Did you know the Prophet?" 
 
 "Know him ! I reckon I did, an' I never knowed 
 nothin' good o' him neither. Lived jest over yonder, 
 a couple of miles from here," jerking his thumb 
 over his shoulder. "Everybody round here knowed 
 him all right. Family wa'nt nothin'. Jest a low down 
 thievin' lyin' lot, an' Joe was tha worst o' the bunch. 
 Nobody thought he had any brains, but the Devil 
 must a gi'en him somethin' that answered. Wa'nt 
 nobody that could beat him a-lyin' an' tellin' stories. 
 He used to have a 'peep stun* in his hat, an' he'd look 
 at the stun, and pretend to tell where anything was. 
 He dug it up over in Chase's place, when he was dig- 
 gin' a well. I can see him now, goin' round in his 
 ragged, dirty clothes, with only one galesis, an' hair 
 stickin' straight up through a hole in his hat. He 
 had the gift o' gab allright. He'd set down in the 
 store an* tell yarn o' visions an' visitations so slick 
 an* smooth that you'd most believe 'em yerself. 
 
 "After awhile he did git some shiftless truck to 
 believin' in him. Nights they'd go round diggin' fer 
 a chest o' gold. Joe said he could see with his stun, 
 an' then they'd dig keepin' mum as clams. Joe al 
 ways said if anyone spoke a word, the spell would 
 be broke, an' the gold would go off to some other 
 place. Sometimes they'd dig a couple o' hours then 
 someone would swear or somethin' an' it would be 
 all up. 
 
 "Ever hear 'bout the black-sheep sacrifice? Wall, 
 that was a pretty cute way o' gittin' a sheep. Joe 
 told his crowd that he had located the chest, but be 
 fore they could dig it, a fat black sheep must be sac 
 rificed, an' the blood spilt on the ground. Wall, the 
 bunch gathered round with picks, an* Joe cut the 
 80 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 sheep's throat an' made the critter walk round, mak- 
 in' a circle with its blood. Then after a lot o' mutter- 
 in' Smith told em to dig inside the circle. They dug 
 an' dug, but here wuz the cute part o' it : somebody 
 swore an' the gold vanished, an' so had Joe's father 
 with the sheep." The old man again indulged in a 
 fit of silent laughter. 
 
 "But the plates," I said, "don't you believe that he 
 really saw a vision, and received the Holy Book di 
 rectly from the hand of God?" 
 
 He sobered at once, looked at me keenly and 
 stroked his chin. 
 
 ''Law save us, boy, you talk as though you might 
 be a Mormon yourself, but no, you look too likely 
 a lad for any such fool bizness. Nobody around here 
 never believed that Joe found nothin' but an easy 
 way to make a livin'. He was always sky-larkin' 
 around nights, an' one night, he comes up here with 
 a pick an' a napkin. When he got home he had 
 somethin' bundled up in the napkin, an' he told how 
 it was a book with gold leaves. Nobody could see it 
 because the Lord told him that if anybody else looked 
 at it, they would be struck dead. He used to let the 
 boys feel o' it though, all covered up with a canvas. 
 Three of the fellers wuz feelin' o' it one night, an' 
 coaxin' Joe for a peak at it, but he wouldn't. One 
 o' em said he didn't care a darnation, and snatched 
 the cover off. All 'twas wuz a big brick; but Joe 
 sneaked out of it. Said it wasn't the book at all, 
 that the Lord knowed what they wuz goin' to do, an' 
 changed the book to a brick; it wuz jest a joke on 
 em." 
 
 "After a spell a stranger come to town an' talked 
 
 with Joe, an' after that, they said it wuz the work o' 
 
 God, writ in some furrin language. They they took 
 
 to writin' it in English, an' they had it printed at the 
 
 81 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 Wayne County Sentinel office. John Gilbert wuz the 
 chief printer, an' he fixed the mistakes fer 'em, an' 
 put it through fer 'em. They dug a cave in the side 
 o' this hill where they pretended to be a writiti' it, 
 but no one ever got in there but Smith and Cowdry 
 an' Harris. They claim to have saw the book, but 
 they wuz all noted liars. After that they got a few 
 converts, poor ignerant cusses that wuz superstitious 
 an' they cleared out after awhile. Law ! there's 
 Sarah callin' dinner. Won't you come down an' have 
 a bite?" And he rose stiffly and picked up the salt 
 measure. 
 
 "No, thank you," I replied. "I have to be going* 
 on. Do Mormon missionaries ever come here for 
 converts ?" 
 
 "Well, now, sometimes they do, but the same one 
 never comes twict," and he shuffled off down the 
 hill, while his shoulders shook with his characteristi 
 cally silent mirth. 
 
 He left me with a mingled feeling of resentment 
 and discomfort. I tried to persuade myself that he 
 was an ignorant, blasphemous old imbecile, the kind 
 that always deny everything that has not been ac 
 complished by themselves. But the offhand, cheer 
 ful unassuming straightforwardness with which he 
 spoke of the Prophet, convinced my judgment but 
 did not overpower my will. Long years of absolute 
 faith could not be uprooted by a few minutes' conver 
 sation with a strange old man in the tertiary stage of 
 senile decay. I could not for the minute grasp the 
 full significance that the story of this old iconoclast 
 bore on the honor of our Prophet and the validity 
 of his revelations, which were the very foundation of 
 our religion. I watched him ambling rheumatically 
 down the hill, whistling an old-fashioned country 
 dance, and continued to watch the door behind which 
 82 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG HAM YOUNG 
 
 he had disappeared long after it had been closed. 
 I was dazed and confused, and finally returned to 
 my room in the hotel to spend the remain 
 der of the day and night arguing with my 
 self, lying face downward on the bed. My pride 
 urged me to disregard the old man's story as a false 
 tale of a bigoted enemy of the church; my judg 
 ment and intuition told me it was true. The next 
 morning I visited the newspaper office the old man 
 had mentioned only to have his every statement 
 verified in answer to my cautious inquiry. I spent a 
 few hours wandering about town, and the people 
 I approached on the subject of Mormonism were of 
 the same mind. There seemed to be no animosity 
 against Mormonism, just an amused contempt for 
 anyone who might be simple enough to have faith in 
 the so-called visions and revelations of Joe Smith. 
 He had been regarded as the village roustabout, a 
 shiftless good-for-nothing. 
 
 It is difficult to put in words the sensations that 
 the growing belief in the falsity of Smith's claim to 
 divine authority, aroused in my mind. I rebelled 
 against my judgment, which accepted what the gen 
 tiles told me as true. The rebellion was generously 
 fortified by the inate and ingrained belief in the doc 
 trine that had been made a part of my mentality, and 
 was fostered by pride in the intelligence and whole- 
 someness of my people. To me religion was the 
 paramount and all-controlling motive for every act. 
 The upbuilding of the "Kingdom" was the reason 
 for my very existence. Now that the foundation of 
 the "Kingdom" seemed to be laid in worse than 
 sand; to be, in fact, the dishonest vagaries of the 
 mind of a man whom it would be charitable to call a 
 crackbrained fanatic, can it be wondered that I was 
 in a state of mental chaos? 
 
 83 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 Mine is a nature that will not be silenced by half 
 the truth, that will be content to overlook facts by 
 waving them aside with high-handed indifference 
 backed only by fine spun theories as to what may 
 or may not be. I could not do as thousands of Mor 
 mons have : pass off the truth by reasoning that "our 
 religions is as good as any other; that there is a 
 doubt as to the authenticity of all religions." 
 
 It was in this frame of mind that I returned to 
 Lyons to find a letter awaiting me from Louise. I 
 hastened to my room and perused it with as much 
 astonishment as avidity. It ran thus: 
 
 "DEAR JOSEPH : 
 
 "You once rescued me from a band of outlaws; 
 no human being was ever stirred by greater grati 
 tude than was I. You have been kind to me, have 
 respected me, and I believed you that night when 
 you told me that you loved me. For these reasons 
 I am calling on you to make a great sacrifice for me 
 in the hour of my dire distress and danger. I am 
 imprisoned in a miner's hut by your father who is 
 attempting to force me to marry him. Moab is my 
 jailer and has consented to send this letter to you 
 after assuring me that you would simply tell me to 
 abide by your father's will. If you love me, Joe, 
 if you have the manhood, the courage and the spirit 
 I believe you have, save me from this loathsome cap 
 tivity and the probable fate that your wretched father 
 has planned for me. Act quickly for the love you 
 say you have for me. 
 
 "In an agony of distress and suspense, I am, as 
 ever, "LOUISE." 
 
 All my enthusiasm in my work for the "Kingdom" 
 at once vanished. I cared not a jot for religion, God, 
 84 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG HAM YOUNG 
 
 man, or the devil, dogmas or creeds. When the hu 
 man mind centers upon one subject and none other, 
 and cannot be changed, the unfortunate is insane. My 
 one thought was to rescue Louise and kill that smug 
 old villain, Henry Lorenzo, if necessary. What cared 
 I for any theory regarding a hereafter ! What cared 
 I for any punishment of God or man ! My one and 
 all-consuming object was to protect Louise, and kill 
 anyone who violently opposed me! That I had but 
 two dollars and a few cents bothered me not a bit, 
 at first, although my ticket carried me only as far 
 as Chicago. Later when I had spent my last dollar 
 and was riding on top of a freight train in the cool, 
 fall night air, with only ten cents' worth of crackers 
 and cheese under my belt for forty-eiglit hours, I 
 cursed money, man and humanity in general, not be 
 cause I was half starved and chilled to the bone, but 
 because I could not span the distance with celerity 
 money would buy me. 
 
 Those were the good old days before the trouble 
 some reformer had put laws on the statute books 
 making it necessary for the train to stop before a 
 trespasser could be removed. Halcyon days for the 
 brakemen. I had several encounters with the wield- 
 ers of the hickory stick. I choked one to insensibil 
 ity in his own caboose, overawed two or three, and 
 knocked submissiveness into the heads of several; 
 always helping- myself to the contents of their re 
 spective dinner pails. 
 
 In Denver I purchased two horses on Henry's 
 credit, cursing him mentally when I was forced to 
 use his name, and commenced my journey over the 
 ominous Rockies with scarcely any rest. Driven on 
 by feverish anxiety I rode both mounts to exhaus 
 tion before stopping for sleep, then rested three hours 
 and was off again. I kept up this pace for two days 
 85 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 and three nights with scarcely any sleep. The ner 
 vous tension began to tell on me though I had be 
 lieved there was no limit to my endurance. The third 
 evening I became feverish; on the fourth I was in 
 a stage of semi-delirium. After that I lost all ac 
 count of nights and days, but kept doggedly going 
 forward with all the speed that could be wrung from 
 my fast flagging ponies. I spurred them with Indian 
 brutality, I, who loved a horse with almost senti 
 mental devotion. Twice during a period when I was 
 in a state of feverish stupor, my mount wandered 
 from the trail. I missed a water hole where I calcu 
 lated to fill my canteen and water the horses. Then 
 I rode for God only knows how long without water, 
 my fever mounting highei and higher. I must have 
 fallen into a stupor again and returned to conscious 
 ness to find myself lying near one of my horses. I 
 struggled dizzily to my feet and kicked it. It was 
 dead. I gazed about with partially unseeing eyes, 
 endeavoring to find the other pony. It was nowhere 
 in sight. I noticed one, two, three buzzards circling 
 near. I shook my fist at them and cursed them. 
 
 I staggered forward on foot. A fatalistic certainty 
 of arriving at my destination was the only thing that 
 could have impelled me onward in such a condition. 
 My tongue was dry, swollen and blistered, my limbs 
 trembling, my head dizzy, and my vision distorted. 
 A rattler, ruthlessly disturbed, struck my boot, but his 
 fangs were not long enough to harm me. I laughed 
 and plunged on. I threw away one six-shooter and 
 all of the food I dared. Again I lost consciousness. 
 
 It must have been hours later when I wakened to 
 find myself picked by an emigrant caravan. They 
 were rough but kindly people. I was permitted to 
 ride in one of the prairie schooners, lying stretched 
 out on a pile of bedding. The fever subsided, and 
 86 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 the rest, water and care revived me. Before we 
 reached Salt Lake City I could walk without much 
 difficulty. 
 
 I must have appeared much like an emaciated 
 phantom to my astonished mother, whom I found 
 alone in her apartment. Before she had an oppor 
 tunity to speak, I demanded to know what had be 
 come of Louise, holding her at arms' length. Divin 
 ing the cause of my return and desiring to comfort 
 me, mother unwittingly chose the most revolting 
 method of imparting the shocking news of Louise. 
 She said: "That Gentile girl proved too obstinate 
 and bitter an opponent of God's will. She ridiculed 
 our prophets, laughed at the Holy Revelation, and 
 openly defied the revealed Word of God." 
 
 "Where is she?" I again demanded fiercely. 
 
 "She died the death of the unfit and unyielding. 
 She was frozen to death in the mountains in a fool 
 ish and headstrong attempt to thwart God's will." 
 
 "Dead ! Frozen to death ! God have mercy on the 
 hypocrites and false prophets that killed her, I will 
 not !" and with that I turned from my mother who 
 called to me pleadingly: 
 
 "Joe, Joe! Sonny boy, don't leave your mother 
 so!" 
 
 I strode to the barn, mounted the best horse in 
 the stable and rode to Edward's home. I 
 could not believe that Louise was dead. I would 
 not believe it. It must be that mother had been 
 told this to keep the facts from her, I reasoned. 
 With rage, sorrow, doubt and anxiety growing with 
 in me, I rode with a reckless headlong speed past fa 
 miliar objects, scarcely noticing them. As I dashed 
 round the bend in the canyon that disclosed my sis 
 ter's home, I noticed Edward watering the horses at 
 the rivulet. As soon as I came within hailing distance 
 
 87 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 I demanded to know the whereabouts of Louise. He 
 answered me with reluctance much as mother di-.l 
 save that he condemned what she had extolled. Then 
 it was true that my beautiful, sweet, pure and noUe 
 sweetheart had been hunted like a wild animal, 
 driven into the inclement mountains to escape a brute 
 lower than cold-blooded animal creation. 
 
 "D Henry Lorenzo!" I cried. "D the false, 
 hypocritical coward ! The lust-besotted whelp of 
 Hell ! I, the fruit of his own loins will kill him with 
 my own hands ! Do you hear, d you ? I'll choke 
 his heart's blood from his loathsome carcass !" 
 
 I raved on at Edward, saying I knew not what, un 
 til rage was supplanted by grief and I fell on the 
 ground face downward and sobbed like a baby. I 
 have never shed a tear since, but I am not ashamed 
 of having done so then. Edward said nothing for 
 several minutes. Finally he began to talk to me 
 gently, saying he felt much as I did, that he was 
 going to leave the land of lust-ridden hypocrites and 
 deluded fools. 
 
 88 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 FOR several days I rode and walked about the 
 mountains, and up and down the canyon, growing 
 more embittered and dangerous each hour. At first 
 I decided to kill Henry on sight, but on more ma 
 ture thought I conceived that it would be a greater 
 punishment to humiliate, humble and disgrace him 
 in his sphere of power. No one knew better than I 
 that among the Mormon people there existed many 
 hearts as true, honorable and loyal as ever pulsated, 
 misguided and grounded thoroughly in the heresy of 
 the monomaniac Smith, but Anglo-Saxon both in 
 blood and instinct when their vision was not obscured 
 by religious fanaticism. How to drive home to these 
 true-hearted ones the errors of thought and deed 
 which had been handed to them in childhood by their 
 fathers, together with avenging the death of my 
 sweetheart, became my one reason and purpose for 
 living. 
 
 I left the canyon for Salt Lake City, rested and in 
 vigorated. Mother was anxiously awaiting my re 
 turn, and was greatly relieved to find me in a collect 
 ed and apparently normal state of mind. I talked 
 with her for a few hours and learned the news of 
 the neighborhod. Henry had gone to the southern 
 part of Utah on a business trip. Moab had disap 
 peared and had not been heard of for several weeks. 
 It was thought he had gone on a mission. Henry 
 had added four young and beautiful wives to add 
 
 89 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BR1GHAM YOUNG 
 
 luster to his crown in the world to come. Several 
 half-brothers and sisters had been born into the fam 
 ily during my absence. I spent the next few weeks 
 visiting among the most intellectual of my friends, 
 sounding them as to their attitude toward the rulers 
 of the church. I found them in sympathy with the 
 leader as a whole, but a strong sentiment against 
 plural marriage seemed to exist. This was espe 
 cially true among the younger men, some of whom 
 had been robbed of their sweethearts by the older 
 "saints" and others had been threatened. Then, too, 
 the Federal Government was taking a strong interest 
 in the polygamy question. I carefully noted every 
 instance of dissatisfaction and made a written de 
 tailed account of every outrage which I gave to the 
 officers of the U. S. Army who commanded the Army 
 Post near the city, to mail to the President of the 
 United States. I was in a position to learn and did 
 learn more than any secret-service man could. 
 
 I visited the President of the Church with a letter 
 of recommendation from two Bishops who were 
 friends of Henry's and asked for a position of a cler 
 ical nature. If he knew the story of my mission he 
 did not mention it. He sounded me casually on my 
 attitude toward the ruling element then in power and 
 finding me apparently all zeal and very heartily in 
 favor of the existing regime, he inquired if I was 
 married, and learning that I was not even sealed, he 
 slapped me on the back saying: 
 
 "I am giving a little reception this evening in 
 'Amelia Palace/ Be on hand and we will talk the 
 matter over. Perhaps we can secure you not only a 
 position, but a wife or two." Plainly, I had made 
 a favorable impression. 
 
 Later I learned that Henry had left instructions 
 to the effect that I must be watched on my return 
 90 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG HAM YOUNG 
 
 and placated by taking me into state secrets and by 
 giving me a good position and the pick of several 
 attractive women, or if I proved refractory to be 
 immediately put out of existence as a danger to the 
 church. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 1 WAS on hand at the "Amelia Palace" that night 
 promptly at the appointed hour. It was a very select 
 gathering composed of the gayer members of the 
 ruling element, who, though much given to ostenta 
 tious public worship, were none the less devoted to 
 gayety in private life. 
 
 The women present were conspicuous for their 
 beauty and attractiveness. Practically all of them 
 were unmarried and it developed that the gather 
 ing was for the ultimate purpose of marrying or 
 sealing these young girls to some of the men pres 
 ent. It was a formal introduction to the society of 
 one another which was to lead to a sealing for all 
 eternity. 
 
 I concealed my lack of interest in the affair as best 
 I could and my absent-mindedness or apparent awk 
 wardness was no doubt charged up to my inexperi 
 ence. Not that etiquette was observed to any extent 
 as there were none present who had more than a 
 rough idea of the proper manner of conducting 
 themselves measured by the standard of Gentile so 
 ciety. 
 
 The evening was spent at cards, conversation, danc 
 ing and music. At midnight a sumptuous feast was 
 served. I was seated at the table next to a daughter 
 of a wealthy merchant. She was a jolly, intelligent 
 young person, but I was too preoccupied with my 
 plans for the future and too intent upon getting all 
 92 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 the information that might drop unwittingly from the 
 lips of the important persons present to give more 
 heed to her than was necessary to keep up appear 
 ances. Before the gathering broke up, the President 
 of the Church called me aside and informed me that 
 he had a place for me and invited me to call in the 
 morning. 
 
 I realized fully that the plan I had roughly formu 
 lated in mind, by which I was to wreck vengeance 
 on Henry Lorenzo and to attempt to undeceive the 
 Mormon people concerning the heresy of Joseph 
 Smith, entailed dangers many and dire. But my 
 mind was fortified by a deep-seated, slow-burning 
 rage at the perfidy of the Mormon oligarchy in gen 
 eral, and Henry Lorenzo in particular. 
 
 I walked home brooding over these matters with a 
 feeling of grim satisfaction, as I felt that I had 
 obtained a wedge that would open the way for the 
 consummation of the work I had laid out to do, let 
 the consequences to myself be what they might. 
 
 The next morning I found the President in ses 
 sion with several leaders of the Church. I was 
 greeted cordially by each of them and after a few 
 preliminary remarks and aimless glances about, the 
 President stroked his beard, shuffled his feet, 
 bent his piercing eyes upon me and said : 
 
 "The nature of the work we are about to com 
 mission you to do for us and the glory of Zion is 
 such that it will require the utmost loyalty and 
 secrecy. We have selected you as a young man 
 of energy, vigor, vision and loyalty. It has been 
 revealed to us that it is necessary and proper for 
 us to assume the attitude toward you which we 
 will follow. Therefore I ask you to remember at 
 all times that such attitude is not the desire nor the 
 93 
 
IN THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG 
 
 determination of us poor instruments of God, but 
 the will of God Himself. That you may understand 
 the magnitude and importance of the work you are 
 about to embark upon, we conceive it necessary 
 that you be taken into the innermost shrine of the 
 Temple, there to expiate your sins, if you have any, 
 and learn many things you wot not of. Under 
 stand that you may now withdraw from this en 
 terprise and we will find a place for you elsewhere, 
 but understand also that the oath once taken and 
 our plans unfolded, your hand will then be 'put to 
 the plow/ and there must be no faltering, nor turn 
 ing back. Speak up and tell us if you are still all 
 zeal, or that the gravity of the proposal has damp 
 ened your enthusiasm." 
 
 I did not hesitate. "I am with you to see the 
 finish." 
 
 "Good !" said the President. "If," turning to the 
 others, "all are agreed, we will now take our young 
 brother through the inner mysteries of the Sacred 
 Covenant." A suggestion that it would be best to 
 wait until evening, met with approval. 
 
 It was with no peaceful state of mind that I left 
 the conference. I fully realized that I was taking a 
 step which, had I been acting in good faith, would 
 have meant an opportunity for great preferment, 
 wealth and honor as the Mormons see it ; but 
 which meant, in the event of my being: unsuccess 
 ful and my purpose being discovered, immediate 
 death. It was not fear of death that bothered me, 
 however. I can say without boasting that I did 
 not hold my life dearly then. I had no possibility 
 of happiness or of peace of mind in sight. It was 
 the knowledge that I was to be bound by oaths that 
 might circumscribe my plans that troubled me. 
 94 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 Had I but known it, there was little cause to fear 
 anything but my own conceit and susceptibility to 
 flattery. 
 
 Instinct led me home to tell my mother enough 
 of what success and preferment I was meeting to 
 please her, and it afforded me the most pleasant 
 moment I had known since my return to see her 
 careworn face brighten and beam with pride and 
 happiness. I longed to tell her all, to unburden 
 my heart, but prudence told me that to do so would 
 bring terror and distress upon her. It is now a 
 source of great happiness to me to know that this 
 last day was one of peace and rejoicing on her 
 part. 
 
 When I kissed her forehead that evening as I 
 left her, I little dreamed that it was for the last 
 time. Yet it was with a sense of foreboding that 
 I rode into the city. It was a soft, moonlit spring 
 night and the air was rich with the odor of growing 
 things. That man-made garden-spot of the world, 
 the Salt Lake Valley, was enveloped in the quietude 
 of peace well earned by the day's labor. 
 
 The evenings, during the farmers' busy seson, 
 were very quiet at Salt Lake in those days, and I 
 found the streets deserted save for here and there 
 a person going quietly home from some distant 
 point. I arrived in town before the appointed hour 
 and hitched my horse in front of the "Bee Hive 
 Bakery", intending to pass away a few moments 
 there. It was my favorite place of spending odd 
 moments of idleness while in town. 
 
 I chatted a few moments with the baker's jolly 
 
 daughter and returned to my horse to renew my 
 
 journey. As I placed my hand upon the pommel 
 
 of my saddle, I felt a piece of paper and found it 
 
 95 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG HAM YOUNG 
 
 tied there with a string. I stepped to the light of 
 the bakery window, unfolded the paper and read 
 thereon: "Beware," in a scrawling feminine hand. 
 Below it was signed: "A Friend." The mysterious- 
 ness of the delivery of the message and its contents 
 r^ave me a momentary chill, but momentary only. 
 I had suffered too keenly and my blood was too 
 hot to be appreciably cooled in this manner. Clear 
 ly there was danger abroad, but I could not begin 
 to imagine from whom I was to beware nor from 
 what. I chuckled grimly to myself and felt to see 
 if my revolver was in my saddle-bag, and on find 
 ing it and satisfying myself that it was loaded, I 
 transferred it to my pocket. I rode to the "Bee 
 Hive House," where I again secured my horse, 
 and from there walked to the temple gate. I was 
 joined there by the youngest of the "apostles." I 
 thought I noticed an air of restraint in his man 
 ner, but attributed it to the unusual circumstances. 
 
 The Mormon Temple was then and is now sur 
 rounded by a high wall with a spiked railing on the 
 top. Within the enclosure there was then only 
 the Temfple Building and a small outbuilding where 
 candidates for admission to the Temple were taken 
 to be prepared. The account which follows no 
 doubt smacks of the imagination of a dime-novel 
 writer. It is none the less consistent with the facts 
 as I remember them. 
 
 We hastened to the last mentioned edifice and 
 on our approaching the door, it opened noiselessly 
 on a very small, dimly-lighted ante-room. An old 
 man stepped from behind the entrance door and 
 shuffled across the room to a door opposite, which 
 opened to his touch. He beckoned me to enter, 
 instructing me to remove all my clothing and to 
 
 96 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 don the vestment I would find there, then rap on 
 the floor. I found myself in a very small room 
 absolutely barren save for inscriptions on the wall 
 which I recognized as questions from the "Pearl 
 of the Covenant." A pure white linen garment 
 fastened like a great night-gown and stiffly 
 starched, hung on a peg. Refusing to allow my 
 self to speculate, I quickly exchanged my apparel 
 for the shroud-like vestment and then rapped on 
 the floor. Immediately a trap door in one corner 
 of the floor opened and I was invited to descend. 
 Iking but human, all this mystery began to have its 
 effect upon me. 
 
 The stillness, the white robe that enveloped me, 
 and the prison-like room with its uncanny door 
 and the shuffling figure that had admitted me into 
 the room and directed me to give three knocks, all 
 tended to fill me with a momentary uneasiness. I 
 would not allow their meaningless mummery to 
 daunt me, I resolved, and stepped quickly to the 
 aperture disclosed by the trap door. A short flight 
 of steps led to a tunnel beneath, which was dimly 
 lighted by an oil lamp whose rays were lost in the 
 distance of the tunnel. I could see no one as I 
 descended ; but as my feet left the last step, a man 
 appeared from each side of the staircase. I was 
 seized by four strong hands and a voice from be 
 hind demanded to know my name and by what 
 right I was travelling the sacred road to the "Inner 
 Shrine of God's Temporal Kingdom." I replied that 
 I had been directed thither by the President of the 
 Church. Whereupon the voice commanded that 
 my hands be bound behind me and that my eyes 
 be denied the light. After which, the voice com 
 manded me to repeat after him a very long, profuse 
 97 
 
IN THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG 
 
 and binding oath of loyalty to God and the up 
 building of the Kingdom. 
 
 "Move forward to the next station/* ordered the 
 voice, and I was hustled rapidly forward, over 
 a very smooth stone surface for perhaps five 
 minutes, when a new voice commanded : "Halt !" 
 
 We stopped; then came the sound of whispering 1 
 back and forth, presumably countersigns. A heavy 
 door creaked on its hinges, and we again moved 
 forward. A man was on either side of me, each 
 with a grip on my pinioned arms. I felt that we 
 were out of the tunnel and into a room, the Temple 
 no doubt. We had taken but a few steps when a 
 voice demanded to know who, denied the light and 
 sight, came within these sacred precincts. Someone 
 stepped from behind me and the voice that first ad 
 dressed me as I entered the tunnel, proclaimed that 
 I was a stranger found wandering upon Sacred 
 Ground. 
 
 "He is the offspring of a true, loyal Latter Day 
 Saint, but I will vouch not for him." 
 
 A third voice now interposed, which I instantly 
 recognized as belonging to Russell Kimbal, a close 
 business associate of Henry Lorenzo. 
 
 "I charge this stranger with being a traitor to the 
 Kingdom of God on earth, with having broken his 
 oath as a member of the Order of the 'Lions of 
 the Lord/ in that he has betrayed knowledge that 
 came to him to the gentile authorities ; and I charge 
 him also with having sought entrance to the Inner 
 Shrine of the Kingdom, for the purpose of betraying 
 God and His servants, and I pray you, Oh, Prince 
 of God, that he be tried according to the law as re 
 vealed." 
 
 When Kimbal began to speak I knew that mis- 
 98 
 
IN THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG 
 
 chief was afoot and my heart began to beat faster, 
 but not with fear. All the anger, antagonism and 
 fierce desire for revenge welled up within me as 
 this mouthpiece of Henry Lorenzo's disclosed to 
 me that I had been trapped. 
 
 "Let him have light and the freedom of his per 
 son, that it may not be said that one accused before 
 this Holy Shrine was prevented from having the 
 full use of his faculties in answering and defend 
 ing himself." 
 
 Deft fingers removed the bandage from my eyes 
 and the rope from my hands. I expected to open 
 my eyes on the interior of the Temple, but in this 
 I was disappointed. I glanced, blinking at the 
 light, about a long low room, plainly furnished 
 and having the appearance of a court-room. 
 Twenty-six men, all bishops and dignitaries of the 
 church, were seated on an amphitheatre-like plat 
 form, or stage in front of me. All were dressed in 
 a garb similar to that which had been given me, 
 except that a small bee-hive was delicately woven 
 in red on the right arm of their vestments. The 
 President was seated in a massive chair which set 
 in the foreground, and was raised slightly higher 
 than the others. He was dressed in a purple 
 robe and wore a gold band around his head. 
 Seated on the bottom step which led up to 
 the platform were the five chief officers of the 
 "Lions of the Lord," all enveloped in monk-like 
 gowns with hoods, and long daggers dangling from 
 their leather belts. I noticed these details in the 
 few brief seconds which elapsed before the 
 President asked if there was a saint of any de 
 gree present who would assist the accused and 
 counsel him before he answered the accusations. 
 99 
 
IN THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG 
 
 In the silence which followed I took the opportun 
 ity to look about, and noted that there was about 
 twenty prominent "saints" ranged along the wall 
 of the room each dressed in a white gown with 
 L. D. S. woven in red across the breast. The men 
 who had conducted me were similarly dressed and 
 stood a step behind me on either side. It seemed 
 very unreal, like a preposterous dream. 
 
 My eyes swept the room for a friendly face. I 
 knew them to a man and knew them all for either 
 zealous bigots or hypocritical scoundrels. For the 
 first time in my life fear and terror were upon me. 
 I looked up into the eyes of the President. They 
 were glittering coldly into mine. His were the 
 eyes of a "bad man," a "killer." No one answered. 
 There was not a sound in the room save the rustling 
 of starched garments and the low insistent hiss of 
 the oil lamp burning just over my head. 
 
 "Then, sir, state your full name, the name of 
 your parents," commanded the President. 
 
 I answered in a voice that sounded unfamiliar to 
 me, but though strained, it was clear and trem 
 bling. 
 
 "Are you guilty of the charge preferred against 
 you by Brother Kimbal?" 
 
 "I am guilty of nothing !" I said firmly, my cour 
 age returning to some extent. 
 
 "Trifle not with this august, puissant and Holy 
 Tribunal, for know ye that if guilty ye be, only 
 your life's blood will atone the offense in this world 
 and gain you mercy in the world to come." 
 
 He rose from his chair as he spoke, and leaning to 
 wards me, shook a long forefinger at me, plucking 
 his long grey beard nervously with the other hand. 
 
 I did not answer, but gazed fixedly into his bright 
 
 IOO 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG HAM YOUNG 
 
 glittering eyes, which were blazing with anger and 
 the unnatural light of a homicidal monomaniac. 
 
 "Let me say, young sir, that your haughty defi 
 ance sets ill with me and that your pride and stub 
 bornness will serve you a sorry turn at this time. 
 It would better become you to think of your sins 
 and transgressions and bow your defiant head, yea, 
 to prostrate yourself and pray for mercy. 
 
 "Let the witnesses be brought forth, sworn and 
 heard ; place the accused at the proper station." 
 
 I was then assisted to a chair at the left side of 
 the platform where I faced the President and could 
 view the whole assemblage. 
 
 The appearance of the white-robed, stern-faced 
 bearded men lined up on either side of the low 
 room, and those on the platform made an imposing 
 appearance. However grotesque and impossible 
 the situation may appear to the reader, it was none 
 the less real and tragic to me. I knew full well 
 what the probable outcome of this mock trial 
 would be. I knew, too, that the presence of the 
 cloaked and cowled "Lions of the Lord," with their 
 ugly daggers, signified "blood atonement" death. 
 
 The door at the rear of the room opened and 
 three men entered. I could not see them distinctly 
 at first, but as they approached the center of the 
 room to salute the President, I recognized Henry 
 Lorenzo. As soon as the recognition forced itself 
 upon my staggered brain, I sprang to my feet and 
 would have jumped from the platform and thrown 
 myself upon him, had not someone seized me rough 
 ly from behind and jerked me violently back to my 
 seat. All the antagonism and fury that I had sup 
 pressed for the past few weeks welled up within me, 
 and for the moment was too great for me to control. 
 joi 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 With an air of patience and long suffering, Henry 
 advanced to the center of the room and made a 
 profound obeisence. His companions followed the 
 example. Then all approached within a few feet 
 of the platform, and took an oath to tell the truth 
 concerning the charges preferred against me. Kim- 
 bal acted as prosecutor. 
 
 Abner Young, an awkward oaf, with a receding 
 chin and roving lack-luster blue eyes, testified in 
 brief that he had heard me tell an officer of the 
 United States Army that I would furnish him fur 
 ther information concerning polygamous relations 
 of the Latter Day Saints, giving the day, date, and 
 place. He stepped aside and Walter King testified 
 that I had asked him concerning a Miss Eber, who 
 had been sealed to one of the Bishops sitting as a 
 juror close to my elbow. King testified further that 
 I had remarked that if he were a man of spirit, he 
 would resent his sweetheart's being wrested from 
 him by an old voluptuary. 
 
 Such evidence was sufficient to hang a dozen 
 men before that court, but it did not frighten me for 
 a moment. Indeed, I was too angry to care what 
 they said or did to me. 
 
 Henry's testimony, or speech rather, was the 
 finest exhibition of hypocrisy that I ever wit 
 nessed. In his rich, mellifluous tones he spoke of 
 the earnest, devoted boy, his son, who had won 
 distinction in the work of the church ; who had 
 shown exceptional zeal, bravery and promise ; how 
 his father's heart had swelled with pride to think 
 that he would leave behind such a worthy and de 
 voted offspring to carry on the good work which 
 he, Henry, in his humble way had exerted his poor 
 power to accomplish. And now the bitterness of 
 103 
 
IN THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG 
 
 this hour, his fondest hope and idol shattered, his 
 gray head bowed in shame in the presence of God's 
 Chosen. He closed by saying that he asked only 
 justice for his son, and the privilege of submitting 
 to the Word as revealed in this distressing matter 
 as he had always submitted in all things. 
 
 When he finished, the President turned his blazing 
 eyes upon me and roared: 
 
 "Stand up, young sir, and tell us if there is any 
 reason why you should not meet the punishment of 
 the damned on earth; why your blood should not 
 atone your misdeeds !" 
 
 I rose to my feet, trembling in every limb with 
 anger and not deigning to bow myself as had the 
 others before speaking. The President rapped furi 
 ously on his desk, and commanded me to prostrate 
 myself. I replied with equal heat that I prostrated to 
 no man, and that if they would hear me before they 
 murdered me, all mummeries must be laid aside. A 
 murmur of admiration ran around the room, and the 
 President, though purple with anger, nodded to me 
 to go on, in a manner that spoke plainly that though 
 he passed the point, he had no intention of forgetting 
 it. I do not remember all I said, but in substance 
 it was as follows: 
 
 "A year ago I was a boy, full of conceit and self- 
 assurance. I was as innocent of evil, intrigue and 
 the ulterior motives of mankind as a child babbling 
 over its rattle. It did not occur to me that anyone 
 who professed our religion would allow lust to over 
 ride propriety, justice and fundamental decency. 
 Much less did I know or deem that the man who was 
 responsible for my existence was the most loath 
 some hypocrite that God in His infinite wis 
 dom ever allowed to breathe the pure air of this 
 mountain world of ours. I knew that the beneficent 
 
 103 
 
IN THE DAYS OF B RICH AM YOUNG 
 
 Creator had put the venomous snake on earth, but 
 failed to read the lesson taught by its presence that 
 the price of safety, like the price of liberty, is to be 
 purchased by eternal vigilance. The hand that should 
 have guided me, and the brain that should have 
 taught me, was at that time intriguing to rob me of 
 the woman I loved; to make her his concubine, and 
 me his dupe. You may sit and blink smugly, but you 
 know of what I speak, and you know it is the truth. 
 
 "Men, I am accused of having betrayed the secrets 
 of your organization. It is true that I have told of 
 crimes that have been commited by some of ^your 
 number, which are as black as the sins of Sodom and 
 equally revolting. But I have not broken my word 
 with the "Lions of the Lord" or betrayed any of its 
 secrets. I do not intend to break the oath which I 
 took when I entered this edifice, which is the second 
 offense charged and which is purely anticipatory. 
 Therefore, gentlemen, I give you my word under 
 oath, that I am not guilty of either of the offenses 
 charged." 
 
 "I have a counter complaint to make to this body, 
 which I wish you clearly to understand is not offered 
 to you at this time in extenuation of any offense you 
 may believe me guilty of, but as testimony against 
 the horrible monster that is growing to great and 
 greater strength each day in the social system by which 
 you are governed. It is nothing less than that char 
 acter-corroding, soul-blighting, hellish business of 
 plural marriage. To that, men, I am a traitor and an 
 undying enemy. Ah ! I see your backs stiffen and 
 your hands move to your daggers. But I am not 
 afraid of death. If I were I would neither be here 
 nor would I speak as I do now. Let me tell you why 
 I do not prize life: I have been robbed of all that 
 makes life dear to true manhood ; my mate, the wom- 
 
 104 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 an I love. Robbed by that loathsome monster that has 
 made you all traitors to your Anglo-Saxon manhood, 
 plural marriage. Plural marriage, I say, and in say 
 ing I curse it with a bitterness that will not find ex 
 pression in words. 
 
 "Look at Henry Lorenzo, at once my accuser, my 
 betrayer, my evil genius and my father. Look at him 
 I say, then look at me and ask yourselves which has 
 the blackest soul and whose blood should flow in 
 atonement. A fit, fine and finished product of pol 
 ygamous deviltry! May justice overtake his villain 
 ous gray head ! Witness what I say, men, of my 
 parent ! And they say to me and to each other, and 
 even dare to whisper it in the innermost secret cham 
 bers of your perverted minds that polygamy is the 
 will of a just, loving and merciful God ! 
 
 "And yet I am haled before this august tribunal 
 to be sentenced to death for betraying this monster, 
 while Henry Lorenzo sits as a smug and honored 
 prophet in your counsels. Men, if my brain ever 
 conceived acts such as you know Henry Lorenzo has 
 committed, even while crazed by trust misplaced, 
 while tortured in the hell of lost hope, while drunk 
 with the madness of despair over the black-dyed 
 trickery, the low-browed cunning that cost me the 
 woman I loved, then men, take my life's blood from 
 me ! Blood atonement would be too good. Then I 
 would say drive me out into the cruel and inclement 
 mountains, even as that gentle and innocent child was 
 driven like the crawling and loathsome reptile from 
 the haunts of men. 
 
 "You, Henry Lorenzo, say that all you ask is that 
 God's will be done. I say, that if there is a day of 
 judgment for you, that the best your worst enemy 
 could say is that justice be done. You ! Oh, '.Prince 
 of God!' You! Oh, gray- bearded genii of the devil, 
 
 105 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIGHAM YOUNG 
 
 I ask the same for you. And I ask It for all present 
 in this room tonight: when the Judgment Day comes, 
 may justice be done in all and to all, and may I be 
 there to witness it. I will welcome it as coolly as I 
 will your taking of my life this night. I am through 
 except that I say : may you all be damned who do not 
 renounce polygamy!" 
 
 When I ceased speaking and sat down, there was 
 a momentary pause of silence, save for the shuffling 
 of feet and deep intaking of breath. Then the Presi 
 dent said: "Out with him, guards! I thought him 
 a knave only, but it seems he is also a fool." 
 
 My bolt was shot. I permitted the guard to hustle 
 me out without a word of resistance. They took me 
 but a few steps down the passageway from whence 
 Henry and the other witnesses entered, and pushed 
 me into a large damp cell lighted by a smoking oil 
 lamp. I took little note of my surroundings, throw 
 ing myself face downward on a straw mattress in a 
 corner of the room. One of the guards lingered for 
 a moment, and said : "You were not blindfolded. That 
 will mean 'blood atoned/ " and with that he left, 
 quietly closing and locking the door. 
 
 Now that I knew my fate was settled, my wits 
 began to work on the idea of escape. I have no 
 morbid streak in me, and had no intention of being 
 murdered without an attempt at freedom. As soon as 
 the guard closed the door in the passageway after 
 him, I was on my feet and examining the room for a 
 means of escape. It offered none. The floor and the 
 wall were of stone, and the door plated with steel. 
 There was not an article of furniture in the room, 
 except the cot. 
 
 The place was oppressively quiet, and something- 
 like a panic came upon me. The bold words I had 
 spoken a few moments before were forgotten and I 
 106 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG HAM YOUNG 
 
 began to feel that death was indeed at hand. I 
 thought of prayer, but I now had no God. I rushed 
 madly around the walls of the room for perhaps ten 
 minutes before the panic left me, and my natural 
 courage came back. I stretched myself out on the 
 cot, and endeavored to sleep, but my pulse was run 
 ning high and my nerves wrought to their highest 
 pitch. In about two hours I heard the door at the 
 end of the corridor open and the sound of many 
 feet. The door to my cell was unlocked, and the 
 "Lions of the Lord," who had been seated in the 
 room during my trial, filed in. One of them read 
 the charges that were made against me, and wound up 
 with the sentence of death which had been decided 
 upon. I was not even to have the honor of being 
 "blood atoned," but was to be taken into the moun 
 tains and shot. I sat up on the cot and laughed at 
 them, though my laughter was lacking in mirth. 
 Without further ado, I was bound hand and foot, 
 blindfolded, carried out and thrown into a wagon. 
 
 107 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 FOR hours the wagon rumbled over the rocks. Tor 
 mented in body and mind I rolled about in the 
 bottom of the wagon box. After what seemed an 
 age of time the wagon stopped. Strong, rough hands 
 lifted me out, and dropped me to the ground. 
 I strained hard at the ropes that bound me, but it 
 was useless. I heard my executioners preparing to 
 camp for a meal. Presently the blindfold was taken 
 off my eyes, and I was given a cup of coffee. I 
 looked about and judged the time to be close to mid 
 day, and the place to be a remote canyon far up in 
 the mountains, northeast of Salt Lake City. My 
 executioners numbered but three. They were all old 
 men, old time zealots, hardened and bigoted. I shiv 
 ered violently. The cold mountain air was not the 
 sole cause. They went about the business of tem 
 porary camp as though the trip was a usual one, as 
 doubtless it was, and likewise the errand. They con 
 versed unconcernedly with one another. I noted two 
 shovels and three rifles lying a few feet from me. 
 They had come prepared. If I could but get my 
 hands on one of the rifles, there would be but one 
 man to use the shovels. Fascinated by their cool, 
 deliberate actions, I watched the men at the camp 
 fire. Evidently I was to be murdered here, but 
 when? As soon as they finished breakfast, no doubt. 
 
 One of my captors sat facing me. His appearance 
 was not prepossessing. One eye was gone, and he 
 wore a long white silky beard, peculiar to the Mor- 
 
 108 
 
IN THE DAYS OF BRIG HAM YOUNG i 
 
 mons of the old school, who never shaved, but al 
 lowed the hair on their faces to grow naturally. His 
 hat was off, although it was anything but a warm 
 day, and his long, sparse locks blew about his head 
 in the breeze. They had built their fire close to a 
 high cliff, so high that I could not see the top from 
 where I lay. I was perhaps twenty feet from 
 where they sat, and could hear much of their conver 
 sation. Their meal finished, the one-eye man yawned 
 and stretched himself as he arose lo his feet, spun 
 around, and dropped to the ground, and the sound 
 of a rifle shot echoed and re-echoed up and 
 down the canyon, followed by another and another. 
 His comrades, too, fell back as they started to rise. 
 I could scarcely credit my eyes. Before the last 
 echoes died away, Edward strode past me, and I 
 shouted for joy. When he saw where the rifles lay, 
 he came to me quickly, and in a trice I was rubbing 
 my stiffened arms and limbs, while Edward coolly 
 examined my would-be executioners. All the time I 
 questioned him incoherently, almost blubbering for 
 joy. But, best of all, there was a swish of feminine 
 garments, and Louise suddenly knelt beside me from 
 behind. I was too startled and stupefied to speak 
 for perhaps a quarter of a minute; but she held out 
 her hand and smiled, and I seized her in my arms. 
 My cup was full ! 
 
 Louise had been rescued by her brother, who had 
 not dared to tell even me of her existence fearing 
 that I might be watched if I sought her, which I most 
 certainly would have done. 
 
 We are "living happy ever after" in prosperity 
 and contentment in the good State of Washington. 
 
 [THE END.] 
 109