"extra" under Lew Simpson, an experienced
wagon-master, and was subject to his orders only. There was the double
danger of Mormons and Indians, so the pay was good. Forty dollars a
month in gold looked like a large sum to an eleven-year-old.

Will's second departure was quite as tragic as the first. We girls,
as before, were loud in our wailings, and offered to forgive him the
depredations in the doll-house and all his teasings, if only he would
not go away and be scalped by the Indians. Mother said little, but
her anxious look, as she recalled the perils of the former trip, spoke
volumes. He carried with him the memory of the open-mouthed admiration
of little Charlie, to whom "Brother Will" was the greatest hero in the
world. Turk's grief at the parting was not a whit less than ours, and
the faithful old fellow seemed to realize that in Will's absence the
duty of the family protector devolved on him; so he made no attempt to
follow Will beyond the gate.

The train made good progress, and more than half the journey to Fort
Bridger was accomplished without a setback. When the Rockies were
reached, a noon halt was made near Green River, and here the men were
surrounded and overcome by a large force of Danites, the "Avenging
Angels" of the Mormon Church, who had "stolen the livery of the court of
heaven to serve the devil in." These were responsible for the atrocious
Mountain Meadow Massacre, in June of this same year, though the wily
"Saints" had planned to place the odium of an unprovoked murder of
innocent women and children upon the Indians, who had enough to answer
for, and in this instance were but the tools of the Mormon Church.
Brigham Young repudiated his accomplice, and allowed John D. Lee to
become the scapegoat. The dying statement of this man is as pathetic as
Cardinal Wolsey's arraignment of Henry VIII.

"A victim must be had," said he, "and I am that victim. For thirty years
I studied to make Brigham Young's will my law. See now what I have come
to this day. I have been sacrificed in a cowardly, dastardly manner. I
do not fear death. I cannot go to a worse place than I am now in."

John D. Lee deserved his fate, but Brigham Young was none the less a
coward.

The Danites spared the lives of the trainmen, but they made sad havoc
of the supplies. These they knew to be intended for the use of the army
opposed to Brigham Young. They carried off all the stores they could
handle, drove with them or stampeded t