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Show 248 FORTY YEARS AMONG THE INDIANS. Indians I have never known of one failing to be inter-ested when the Book of Mormon was introduced.) These Pimas were intelligent and capable of understand-ing all we said to them. I then again referred to the dis-agreeable subject, telling them that I still felt grieved. One of the chiefs spoke up, asking me to go on, as the stock had been found and were being brought to the owners. I now felt free to talk and gave them much instruction. Brother Tenney being a good interpreter, having had much experience among the natives of Lower Cali-fornia, explained with much clearness the gospel of repentance to these people. A good spirit prevailed and the Indians manifested a desire to be instructed, acknowl-edged their degraded condition, and said they wished the Mormons would come to their country to live and teach them how to do. We all felt well paid for the hardships we had gone through, for we could see here was a chance for a good work to be done. We were in no way annoyed. Our animals were watched and brought in regularly to feed. When we got ready to start on everything was in good shape. We bade the Indians good- bye, promising that the Mormons would visit them again and some of them would probably come and live in their country. The trader never knew how to account for our way of doing with the Pimas. From here we went a day's travel farther up the Gila to Juan Largos' villages. Juan, a Papago Indian, presided over quite a settle-ment of his people. His son was educated so as to read. We gave him a copy of our book. These extracts from the Book of Mormon we had been presenting to a few of the Indians, and some of the Mexicans, on our road. |