father　hushed　them　by　holding　up　his　hand。
  〃I　agree　with　everything　you　say；　Hamilton；〃　he　began。
  But　the　cries　now　drowned　his　voice；　and　he　again　held　up　his　hand。
  〃Except　one　thing　you　forgot　to　take　into　account；　Hamiltona　thing
  that　you　and　all　of　us　must　take　into　account。　　Brigham　Young　has
  declared　martial　law；　and　Brigham　Young　has　an　army。　　We　could　wipe
  out　Nephi　in　the　shake　of　a　lamb's　tail　and　take　all　the　provisions
  we　can　carry。　　But　we　wouldn't　carry　them　very　far。　　Brigham's
  Saints　would　be　down　upon　us　and　we　would　be　wiped　out　in　another
  shake　of　a　lamb's　tail。　　You　know　it。　　I　know　it。　　We　all　know　it。〃
  His　words　carried　conviction　to　listeners　already　convinced。　　What
  he　had　told　them　was　old　news。　　They　had　merely　forgotten　it　in　a
  flurry　of　excitement　and　desperate　need。
  〃Nobody　will　fight　quicker　for　what　is　right　than　I　will；〃　father
  continued。　　〃But　it　just　happens　we　can't　afford　to　fight　now。　　If
  ever　a　ruction　starts　we　haven't　a　chance。　　And　we've　all　got　our
  women　and　children　to　recollect。　　We've　got　to　be　peaceable　at　any
  price；　and　put　up　with　whatever　dirt　is　heaped　on　us。〃
  〃But　what　will　we　do　with　the　desert　coming？〃　cried　a　woman　who
  nursed　a　babe　at　her　breast。
  〃There's　several　settlements　before　we　come　to　the　desert；〃　father
  answered。　　〃Fillmore's　sixty　miles　south。　　Then　comes　Corn　Creek。
  And　Beaver's　another　fifty　miles。　　Next　is　Parowan。　　Then　it's
  twenty　miles　to　Cedar　City。　　The　farther　we　get　away　from　Salt　Lake
  the　more　likely　they'll　sell　us　provisions。〃
  〃And　if　they　won't？〃　the　same　woman　persisted。
  〃Then　we're　quit　of　them；〃　said　my　father。　　〃Cedar　City　is　the　last
  settlement。　　We'll　have　to　go　on；　that's　all；　and　thank　our　stars　we
  are　quit　of　them。　　Two　days'　journey　beyond　is　good　pasture；　and
  water。　　They　call　it　Mountain　Meadows。　　Nobody　lives　there；　and
  that's　the　place　we'll　rest　our　cattle　and　feed　them　up　before　we
  tackle　the　desert。　　Maybe　we　can　shoot　some　meat。　　And　if　the　worst
  comes　to　the　worst；　we'll　keep　going　as　long　as　we　can；　then　abandon
  the　wagons；　pack　what　we　can　on　our　animals；　and　make　the　last
  stages　on　foot。　　We　can　eat　our　cattle　as　we　go　along。　　It　would　be
  better　to　arrive　in　California　without　a　rag　to　our　backs　than　to
  leave　our　bones　here；　and　leave　them　we　will　if　we　start　a　ruction。〃
  With　final　reiterated　warnings　against　violence　of　speech　or　act；
  the　impromptu　meeting　broke　up。　　I　was　slow　in　falling　asleep　that
  night。　　My　rage　against　the　Mormon　had　left　my　brain　in　such　a
  tingle　that　I　was　still　awake　when　my　father　crawled　into　the　wagon
  after　a　last　round　of　the　night…watch。　　They　thought　I　slept；　but　I
  heard　mother　ask　him　if　he　thought　that　the　Mormons　would　let　us
  depart　peacefully　from　their　land。　　His　face　was　turned　aside　from
  her　as　he　busied　himself　with　pulling　off　a　boot；　while　he　answered
  her　with　hearty　confidence　that　he　was　sure　the　Mormons　would　let　us
  go　if　none　of　our　own　company　started　trouble。
  But　I　saw　his　face　at　that　moment　in　the　light　of　a　small　tallow
  dip；　and　in　it　was　none　of　the　confidence　that　was　in　his　voice。　　So
  it　was　that　I　fell　asleep；　oppressed　by　the　dire　fate　that　seemed　to
  overhang　us；　and　pondering　upon　Brigham　Young　who　bulked　in　my　child
  imagination　as　a　fearful；　malignant　being；　a　very　devil　with　horns
  and　tail　and　all。
  And　I　awoke　to　the　old　pain　of　the　jacket　in　solitary。　　About　me
  were　the　customary　four：　　Warden　Atherton；　Captain　Jamie；　Doctor
  Jackson；　and　Al　Hutchins。　　I　cracked　my　face　with　my　willed　smile；
  and　struggled　not　to　lose　control　under　the　exquisite　torment　of
  returning　circulation。　　I　drank　the　water　they　held　to　me；　waved
  aside　the　proffered　bread；　and　refused　to　speak。　　I　closed　my　eyes
  and　strove　to　win　back　to　the　chain…locked　wagon…circle　at　Nephi。
  But　so　long　as　my　visitors　stood　about　me　and　talked　I　could　not
  escape。
  One　snatch　of　conversation　I　could　not　tear　myself　away　from
  hearing。
  〃Just　as　yesterday；〃　Doctor　Jackson　said。　　〃No　change　one　way　or　the
  other。〃
  〃Then　he　can　go　on　standing　it？〃　Warden　Atherton　queried。
  〃Without　a　quiver。　　The　next　twenty…four　hours　as　easy　as　the　last。
  He's　a　wooz；　I　tell　you；　a　perfect　wooz。　　If　I　didn't　know　it　was
  impossible；　I'd　say　he　was　doped。〃
  〃I　know　his　dope；〃　said　the　Warden。　　〃It's　that　cursed　will　of　his。
  I'd　bet；　if　he　made　up　his　mind；　that　he　could　walk　barefoot　across
  red…hot　stones；　like　those　Kanaka　priests　from　the　South　Seas。〃
  Now　perhaps　it　was　the　word　〃priests〃　that　I　carried　away　with　me
  through　the　darkness　of　another　flight　in　time。　　Perhaps　it　was　the
  cue。　　More　probably　it　was　a　mere　coincidence。　　At　any　rate　I　awoke；
  lying　upon　a　rough　rocky　floor；　and　found　myself　on　my　back；　my　arms
  crossed　in　such　fashion　that　each　elbow　rested　in　the　palm　of　the
  opposite　hand。　　As　I　lay　there；　eyes　closed；　half　awake；　I　rubbed　my
  elbows　with　my　palms　and　found　that　I　was　rubbing　prodigious
  calluses。　　There　was　no　surprise　in　this。　　I　accepted　the　calluses
  as　of　long　time　and　a　matter　of　course。
  I　opened　my　eyes。　　My　shelter　was　a　small　cave；　no　more　than　three
  feet　in　height　and　a　dozen　in　length。　　It　was　very　hot　in　the　cave。
  Perspiration　noduled　the　entire　surface　of　my　body。　　Now　and　again
  several　nodules　coalesced　and　formed　tiny　rivulets。　　I　wore　no
  clothing　save　a　filthy　rag　about　the　middle。　　My　skin　was　burned　to
  a　mahogany　brown。　　I　was　very　thin；　and　I　contemplated　my　thinness
  with　a　strange　sort　of　pride；　as　if　it　were　an　achievement　to　be　so
  thin。　　Especially　was　I　enamoured　of　my　painfully　prominent　ribs。
  The　very　sight　of　the　hollows　between　them　gave　me　a　sense　of　solemn
  elation；　or；　rather；　to　use　a　better　word；　of　sanctification。
  My　knees　were　callused　like　my　elbows。　　I　was　very　dirty。　　My　beard；
  evidently　once　blond；　but　now　a　dirt…stained　and　streaky　brown；
  swept　my　midriff　in　a　tangled　mass。　　My　long　hair；　similarly　stained
  and　tangled；　was　all　about　my　shoulders；　while　wisps　of　it
  continually　strayed　in　the　way　of　my　vision　so　that　sometimes　I　was
  compelled　to　brush　it　aside　with　my　hands。　　For　the　most　part；
  however；　I　contented　myself　with　peering　through　it　like　a　wild
  animal　from　a　thicket。
  Just　at　the　tunnel…like　mouth　of　my　dim　cave　the　day　reared　itself
  in　a　wall　of　blinding　sunshine。　　After　a　time　I　crawled　to　the
  entrance；　and；　for　the　sake　of　greater　discomfort；　lay　down　in　the
  burning　sunshine　on　a　narrow　ledge　of　rock。　　It　positively　baked　me；
  that　terrible　sun；　and　the　more　it　hurt　me　the　more　I　delighted　in
  it；　or　in　myself　rather；　in　that　I　was　thus　the　master　of　my　flesh
  and　superior　to　its　claims　and　remonstrances。　　When　I　found　under　me
  a　particularly　sharp；　but　not　too　sharp；　rock…projection；　I　ground
  my　body　upon　the　point　of　it；　rowelled　my　flesh　in　a　very　ecstasy　of
  mastery　and　of　purification。
  It　was　a　stagnant　day　of　heat。　　Not　a　breath　of　air　moved　over　the
  river　valley　on　which　I　sometimes　gazed。　　Hundreds　of　feet　beneath
  me　the　wide　river　ran　sluggishly。　　The　farther　shore　was　flat　and
  sandy　and　stretched　away　to　the　horizon。　　Above　the　water　were
  scattered　clumps　of　palm…trees。
  On　my　side；　eaten　into　a　curve　by　the　river；　were　lofty；　crumbling
  cliffs。　　Farther　along　the　curve；　in　plain　view　from　my　eyrie；
  carved　out　of　the　living　rock；　were　four　colossal　figures。　　It　was
  the　stature　of　a　man　to　their　ankle　joints。　　The　four　colossi　sat；
  with　hands　resting　on　knees；　with　arms　crumbled　quite　away；　and
  gazed　out　upon　the　river。　　At　least　three　of　them　so　gazed。　　Of　the
  fourth　all　that　remained　were　the　lower　limbs　to　the　knees　and　the
  huge　hands　resting　on　the　knees。　　At　the　feet　of　this　one；
  ridiculously　small；　crouched　a　sphinx；　yet　this　sphinx　was　taller
  than　I。
  I　looked　upon　these　carven　images　with　contempt；　and　spat　as　I
  looked。　　I　knew　not　what　they　were；　whether　forgotten　gods　or
  unremembered　kings。　　But　to　me　they　were　representative　of　the
  vanity　of　earth…men　and　earth…aspirations。
  And　over　all　this　curve　of　river　and　sweep　of　water　and　wide　sands
  beyond　arched　a　sky　of　aching　brass　unflecked　by　the　tiniest　cloud。
  The　hours　passed　while　I　roasted　in　the　sun。　　Often；　for　quite
  decent　intervals；　I　forgot　my　heat　and　pain　in　dreams　and　visions
  and　in　memories。　　All　this　I　knewcrumbling　colossi　and　river　and
  sand　and　sun　and　brazen　skywas　to　pass　away　in　the　twinkling　of　an
  eye。　　At　any　moment　the　trumps　of　the　archangels　might　sound；　the
  stars　fall　out　of　the　sky；　the　heavens　roll　up　as　a　scroll；　and　the
  Lord　God　of　all　come　with　his　hosts　for　the　final　judgment。
  Ah；　I　knew　it　so　profoundly　that　I　was　ready　for　such　sublime　event。
  That　was　why　I　was　here　in　rags　and　filth　and　wretchedness。　　I　was
  meek　and　lowly；　and　I　despised　the　frail　needs　and　passions　of　the
  flesh。　　And　I　thought　with　contempt；　and　with　a　certain
  satisfaction；　of　the　far　citi