318 IN THE OLD WEST 



ing and talking, of which he hoped to hear little 

 or none; that joy was to be in their hearts, and 

 not on their lips ; that they danced for the glory 

 of the Lord, and not their own amusement, as 

 did the GentUes.^' After saying thus, he called 

 upon brother Ezra to " strike up " : sundry 

 couples stood forth, and the ball commenced. 



Ezra of the violin was a tall shambling Mis- 

 sourian, with a pair of homespun pantaloons 

 thrust into the legs of his heavy boots. Nodding 

 his head in time with the music, he occasionally 

 gave instructions to such of the dancers as were 

 at fault, singing them to the tune he was playing, 

 in a dismal nasal tone, — 



" Down the center — hands across, 

 You Jake Herring — thump it. 

 Now, you all go right ahead — 

 Every one of you hump it. 



Every one of you — htimip it" 



The last words being the signal that all should 

 clap the steam on, which they did con amore, and 

 with comical seriousness. 



A mountaineer. Rube Herring, whom we have 

 more than once met in the course of this narra- 

 tive, became a convert to the Mormon creed, and 

 held forth its wonderful doctrines to such of the 

 incredulous trappers as he could induce to listen 

 to him. Old Rube stood nearly six feet six in 

 height, and was spare and bony in make. He 



