use my
home. His wife and family were very favorably impressed. They
were of the Presbyterian order, and two of Mrs. Tucker's brothers
were ministers of that faith. I remained a few days, and made an
appointment to preach on the following Saturday and Sunday.
Before leaving I let the Colonel's lady have books on our faith,
and then went to fill some appointments that I had made at Capt.
Redd's. At the appointed time I returned to preach, as I had
promised, on Buckskin River.

Within half a mile of Col. Tucker's house was a Methodist chapel.
At this place lived a New Light preacher, an old man, who invited
me to stop with him. He informed me that Col. Tucker had become
bitter against the Mormons because his wife believed in them; and
that she wanted to be baptized. She had left word with him,
requesting me not to leave without baptizing her.

This was something I wished to avoid, so to prevent trouble I
concluded not to go to Col. Tucker's at all. I filled my
appointments, and returned to my Christian friend's house for
refreshments, intending to make my way over the mountains that
night, and thus avoid meeting Mrs. Tucker.

This, however, was not to be. I had just finished supper, and
stepped to the door to start back when I met Mrs. Tucker. She
upbraided me for not calling to see her. I said that it was
contrary to the rules of our faith for an elder to interfere in
any man's family against the wish or will of the husband or
parents; that she must keep quiet and the Lord would take the
will for the deed. The more I tried to reconcile her, the more
determined she grew to be baptized.

While I was talking with her a young man came to us and reported
that Col. Tucker had ambushed himself, with a double-barreled
shotgun, near the place of baptizing, swearing vengeance against
the man that attempted to baptize his wife. I tried to persuade
her to return, but in vain. She said to me:

"You have declared that your mission is from Heaven, that you are
a servant of God; and I believe it. Now I demand baptism at your
hands. If you are a servant of God, don't shrink from your duty."

I looked at her for a moment, and said: "Sister, if you have
faith enough to be baptized under these circumstances, I have
faith enough to try it."

Some personal friends who lived in the little village accompanied
us to the water, a short distance above the usual place of
baptizing, and were present during the performance of the
ordinanc