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Show so THE MORMON LION indicated that he was a high Church official. He signed to me to drive on into the crowd. " Gee up yer cattle, brother," he ordered. " Brigham'll be along in a minit to open the meetm'." But instead of ur~ing my oxen forward, I "hawed" and then "whoed ' them. As we came to a stop I nodded to the now frowning olftcial and said : " This sister with me has not yet recovered from her sufferings. She needs rest. Can you direct me to the house of Brother Norton Sen by ? " "No, I won't," he snapped back. "That there feller Sen by is suspected ofbein' a apostate. What're you-apostates or Gentile cusses? ' " Oh I " protested Lucy. "Don't mind him, dear," I murmured, and I turned quickly to the crowd, that was pressing up close to the wagon. Their darkening faces reminded me of the Nauvoo "whittlers," and I did not wish Lucy to be annoyed. " Brethren," I said, " I am the cousin of Sister Amanda Chilcott. Will one of you oblige me by looking up Brother William Chilcott and asking him to step this way? " " How d'we know ye ain't lying, young man? " demanded the angry official. " Here comes l3rother Chilcott now with the Prophet," interposed a kindly gentleman. I looked over the crowd and perceived Chilcott in a stately carriage beside a rather short, thick-set man. Though my cousin's husband had changed his rough clothes for the fine broadcloth, silk hat and white linen of a prosperous city man, I recogmzed him at the first glance. He raised his hat in digmfied response to my hail, and spoke to his companion. At a word from the latter, the coachman swung around the dappled greys and drove them up beside m).~;eb~oad-brimmed fawn-coloured hat afiected by the Prophet so shaded his face that I could see THE MORMON LION SI little of his features until his carriage came alongside our seat and he tilted back his head to look up at us. Though grosser and more severe about the resolute mouth, I instantly remembered that ruddy-cheeked, power£ ul face. His steel-blue eyes turned their cold stare from me to Lucy as he spoke to Chilcott : " Mandy's cousin, you say. How about the girl ?-married? " " No. But I wouldn't mind seeing to it personally that she soon is," said Chilcott, with an avid glance at Lucy and an ingratiating smile for his companion. "Excuse me, Brother William," I broke in. " I'd like to remind Brother Brigham that I had the privilege of meetin~ him in Nauvoo." " Nauvoo? ' repeated the Prophet, frowning at Chilcott. " I thought you said--" "Yes, I did," admitted Chilcott. " But he was at Nauvoo with his mother, when a boy. She died there. You may have heard that Joseph took an interest in her case--persoflal interest. Mary Ford was the name." " What? "exclaimed Brill' ham, sitting up to stare closer at me. " He'd find It hard to prove. There ain't the least bit of resemblance." " I didn't mean that," said Chilcott. " Dave was already twelve or fourteen at the time. All the same, Joseph fully intended to exalt his mother. But she was too far gone with quick consumption. When he told her the doctrine, the shock proved more than she could stand." " H'm," considered the Prophet, and he nodded to me with a shade of cordiality. " What's that, young man, about our meeting in Nauvoo ? " " You gave me your blessing. I was one of the wlmtlers. You may remember Cousin Amanda's butcher knife which I carried." " How's that? Butcher knife- blessing? Wait! I do recall it. You wanted a real bowie knife. Bill, |
