g:

"Save him!" and the settlers yelled:

"Kill him!"

The sign of distress was given by the Danites, and all rushed
forward, determined to save Stewart, or die with him. One of the
mob stabbed Stewart in the shoulder. He rose and ran, trying to
escape, but was again surrounded and attacked by a large number
of foes.

The Danite sign of distress was again given by John L. Butler,
one of the captains of the Host of Israel. Butler was a brave,
true man, and a leader that it was a pleasure to follow where
duty called. Seeing the sign, I sprang to my feet and armed
myself with one of the oak sticks. I did this because I was a
Danite, and my oaths that I had taken required immediate action
on my part in support of the one giving the sign. I ran into the
crowd.

As I reached it I saw Nelson fighting for life. He was surrounded
by a large number who were seeking to murder him; but he had a
loaded whip, the lash wrapped around his hand, using the handle,
which was loaded with several pounds of lead, as a weapon of
defense. He was using it with effect, for he had men piled around
him in all shapes.

As I approached a man sprang to his feet. He had just been
knocked down by Nelson. As the man was rising Nelson gave him a
blow across the loins with the handle of his whip, which had the
effect of straightening out the villain on the grass and rendered
him an inoffensive spectator during the remainder of the play.

Capt. Butler was then a stranger to me, and until I saw him give
the Danite sign of distress I believed him to be one of the
Missouri ruffians who were our enemies. In this contest I came
near committing a serious mistake. I had raised my club to strike
a man, when a Missourian rushed at him and struck him with a
loaded whip, and called him a cursed Mormon. The man then gave
the sign, and I knew how to act.

Capt. Butler was attacked from all sides, but being a powerful
man he used his oak club with effect and knocked a man down at
each blow that he struck, and each man that felt the weight of
his weapon was out of the fight for that day at least. Many of
those that he came in contact with had to be carried from the
field for surgical aid. In the battle, which was spirited, but
short in duration, nine men had their skulls broken, and many
others were seriously injured in other ways. The severe treatment
of the mob by the Danites soon ended the battle.

Three hundred men were present at this difficulty, only