IN THE PAR WEST. 



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 with a waggon, 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 profitable 

 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 

 fandangos. Dancing and preaching go hand in hand in 

 Mormon doctrine, and the " temple " was generally cleared 

 for a hop two or three times during the week, a couple of 

 fiddles doing the duty of orchestra. A party of moun- 

 taineers came in one day, bringing some buffalo -meat and 

 dressed deer-skins, and were invited to be present at one 

 of these festivals. 



Arrived at the temple, they were rather taken aback 

 by finding themselves in for a sermon, which one of the 

 elders delivered preparatory to the "physical exercises." 

 The preacher was one Brown called, by reason of his 

 commanding a company of Mormon volunteers, " Cap'en 

 Brown" a hard-featured, black- coated man of five-and- 

 forty, correctly got up in black continuations, and white 

 handkerchief round his neck, a costume seldom seen at the 

 foot of the Rocky Mountains. The Cap' en, rising, cleared 

 his voice, and thus commenced, first turning to an elder 

 (with whom there was a little rivalry in the way of preach- 

 ing) : "Brother Dowdle" (brother Dowdle blushed and 

 nodded ; he was a long tallow-faced man, with black hair 

 combed over his face), " I feel like holding forth a little 

 this afternoon, before we glorify the Lord, a a in the 



