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Show 306 WESTERN WILDS. " By this time the Indians had gathered from all directions, and overtook ' em at Mountain Meadow. They planned it to crawl down a narrow ravine and get in close, and make a rush altogether. But one fool Indian fired too soon and gave the alarm. This spoilt the plan, but all in reach fired, and killed, well, five or six men. Then a sort o' siege began. The men inside did well the best they oould have done. They got the wagons corraled and dug rifle- pits. The Indians could not hit any more of the people, but shot nearly all their oxen and some horses. I believe it was after three or four days' siege that I went to the Indians and tried to persuade them away ; for our folks had had a council, and while I said, ' Persuade the Indians away, the other brethren said, ' Let the Indians punish them.' I said to the Indians ' You've killed more of them than died of your men, and you've harassed them a good deal, killed their stock, and punished them enough now let them go.' But they said these white men were all bad, and they would kill all. Jacob Ham-lin, the agent, you know, was away from home then, and I had n't much control over the Indians. We was weak then in that section to what we are now, and did not really have the upper hand of the Indians ; and maybe, if we interfered with ' em, it would dause trouble with us. I heard women inside begging and praying, and saying that if the Mormons knew how they were situated they would come and help, no matter if some had treated ' em badly. And they begged some of the fellows to break out and go and get help. Then I run a big risk to get inside the corral. It was pitch dark, and I could see the line of fire from the guns, and the balls whistled all about me. One cut my shirt in front, and another my sleeve, and I could not get through. But I went back, and was pretty near getting the Indians all right, and would have succeeded fully, but then come the thing that spoiled all. " Three of the emigrants had broken out of the corral and gone back for help; and next day met some of our boys at a spring. Well, I don't excuse our men they were enthusiastic, you know, but their motives were good. They knew these emigrants at once; one of them wa? the man that insulted widow Evans, another the one that swung; 7 O his pistol and talked so at Spanish Fork. The boys fell on them at sight, shot one dead and wounded another. But the two of them got back to the company. " Then came another council, and all our men said : ' We can't let ' em go now ; the boys has killed some, and it won't do to let one get through alive, or here they'll come back on us with big reinforce- |
