IN THE OLD WEST 315 



These were built of rough logs of cottonwood 

 laid one above the other, the interstices filled with 

 mud, and rendered impervious to wind or wet. 

 At one end of the row of shanties was built the 

 church or " temple " — a long building of huge 

 logs, in which the prayer-meetings and holdings- 

 forth took place. The band wintering on the 

 Arkansa were a far better class than the generality 

 of Mormons, and comprised many wealthy and 

 respectable farmers from the western states, most 

 of whom were accustomed to the life of woodmen, 

 and were good hunters. Thus they were enabled 

 to support their families upon the produce of their 

 rifles, frequently sallying out to the nearest point 

 of the mountains v/ith a wagon, which they would 

 bring back loaded with buffalo, deer, and elk 

 meat, thereby saving the necessity of killing any 

 of their stock of cattle, of which but few remained. 

 The mountain hunters found this camp a profit- 

 able market for their meat and deer-skins, with 

 which the Mormons were now compelled to clothe 

 themselves, and resorted there for that purpose — 

 to say nothing of the attraction of the many 

 really beautiful Missourian girls who sported 

 their tall graceful figures at the frequent fan- 

 dangos. Dancing and preaching go hand in hand 

 in Mormon doctrine, and the temple was gener- 

 ally cleared for a hop two or three times during 

 the week, a couple of fiddles doing the duty of 

 orchestra. A party of mountaineers came in one 



