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Show 20 THE MORMON LION many who sank down never to rise again. The Nevilles and I had long ago given up our private stores of provisions to be distributed to all alike. We shared the same rations as our fellow converts. Of all our number none toiled and deprived themselves more than Mrs. Neville and Lucy. No argument could turn them from their course of self-sacrifice. But while the dear girl was upborne by her youth, her mother failed so rapidly under the strain that even before we had passed Fort Laramie I foresaw that she was not long to be with us. After days of slow starvation, our painful plodding over the flmty roads beyond the fort brought us to the last crossing of the Platte. Here the lessening flame of Mrs. Neville's life at last flickered out. She passed away peacefully during the noon halt, after whispering a blessing upon Lucy and myself and telling her husband that she soon would see him again on the other side. When the train started to cross the river the first snow of the season had begun to whiten the ground. But I sent on our wagons after the others and remained behind with Lucy and the doctor to dig a grave deep enough to keep the wolves from desecrating our dead. By the time we had laid the dear martyr in her last resting place and heaped in earth and stones upon her coffinless form, the snow was swirling about us in a violent storm. Fearful of the increasing cold and the danger of losing the trail, I forced my companions away from the grave and half Jed, half carried them down into the river ford. How we ever managed to wade across the swift deep current of the icy stream and grope our way along the drift-hidden trail to the camp is a mystery. Neither of my companions would ever have reached shelter had I not put out the scant store of my strength to help them. At the last I had to carry the doctor, who could no longer keep his feet, even when aided. THE MORMON LION 21 We found that our party was now truly in desperate stratts. The camp was already snowbound. Many days probably would pass before the disheartened people could be induced to again take the road. Our meagre rations were farther reduced. There were only a few sacks of flour left for the hundreds of us who sllll survtved. People began to boil up raw-hide thongs and bits of leather. Though actually starving, Lucy robbed herself to feed her father. Nor could I induce her either by entreaty or command or deceit, to accept~ morsel of my ratwn .. And wtth tt all, she was the chief sustamer of fatth and hope in our end of that camp of famme and dcsp":tr. What wonder that my love for the true pure gtrl fast deepened to a feeling of reverence httle short of worship. As her earthly beauty waned with the wasting of her flesh, her eyes shone ever bnghter wtth the heavenly radiancy of he.r soul. I served and adored her for the blessed samt that she was. From the first Dr. Neville was beyond recovery. He had gtv~n up all hope of reaching the new Zion. Hts one destre was to pass on and reJoin his beloved wtfe. Even the thought of Lucy gave him slight concern. I already knew that a sister of Mrs. Nevtlle had gone out to Utah two years before with he! husband, Norton Sen by. fhe doctor now told me that his sister-in-law and her merchant husband were extremely fond of Lucy and wo_uld be certam to make a home for her in Salt Lake Ctty. But, he insisted that I should agree to act as his daughters guardtan and the executor of his estate. To please him, I accepted the trust and drew up the necessary papers ; but their execution was postponed by the arrival from the west of the Prophet's son, JoseJ?h A. Young, who brought us word of an approachmg rescue party. Stlmulated by this glad news, those of us still able to work managed to break camp. Our crippled, |
