266 LIFE IN THE FAB WEST 



hand, and his sonorous voice might be heard, at all 

 hours of the day and night, reading passages from its 

 wonderful pages. He stood the badgering of the hun- 

 ters with most perfect good humour, and said there 

 never was such a book as that ever before printed ; 

 that the Mormons were the " biggest kind " of pro- 

 phets, and theirs the best faith ever man believed in. 



Rube had let out one day that he was to be hired 

 as guide by this party of Mormons to the Great Salt 

 Lake ; but their destination being changed, and his 

 services not required, a wonderful change came over his 

 mind. He was, as usual, book of Mormon in hand, 

 when brother Brown announced the change in their 

 plans ; at which the book was cast into the Arkansa, 

 and Rube exclaimed " Cuss your darned Mummum 

 and Thummum ! thar's not one among you knows l fat 



cow ' from ' poor bull/ and you may go h for me." 



And turning away, old Rube spat out a quid of tobacco 

 and his Mormonism together. 



Amongst the Mormons was an old man, named 

 Brand, from Memphis county, state of Tenessee, with a 

 family of a daughter and two sons, the latter with their 

 wives and children. Brand was a wiry old fellow, 

 nearly seventy years of age, but still stout and strong, 

 and wielded axe or rifle better than many a younger 

 man. If truth be told, he was not a very red-hot 

 Mormon, and had joined them as much for the sake of 

 company to California, whither he had long resolved to 

 emigrate, as from any implicit credence in the faith. 

 His sons were strapping fellows, of the sterling stuif 



