She says, "One morning we thought we would go and gather goose-berries. Father Tanner (as we familiarly called the good, patriarchal John Tanner) harnessed a span of horses to a light wagon, and, with two sisters by the name of Lyman, his little grand-daughter and I, started out. When we reached the woods we told the old gentleman to go to a house which was in sight, and rest, while we picked the berries.
"It was not long before the little girl and I strayed some distance from the others, when, suddenly we heard shouts. The little girl thought it was her grandfather, and she was going to answer, but I prevented her, thinking it might be Indians. We walked forward until within sight of Father Tanner, when we saw he was running his team around. We thought it nothing strange at first, but as we approached, we saw Indians gathering around the wagon, whooping and yelling as others came and joined them. We got into the wagon to start, when four of the Indians took hold of the wagon, and two others held the horses by the bits, and another came to take me out of the wagon. I then began to be afraid as well as vexed, and asked Father Tanner to let me get out of the wagon and run for assistance. He said, `No, poor child, it is too late!' I told him they should not take me alive.
"Father Tanner's face was as white as a sheet! The Indians had commenced to strip him. They had taken his watch and handkerchief, and while stripping him, were trying to pull me out of the wagon. I began silently to appeal to my Heavenly Father. While praying and struggling, the Spirit of the Almighty fell upon me, and I arose with great power, and no tongue can describe my feelings. I was as happy as I could be. A few moments before, I saw worse than death staring me in the face, and now my hand was raised by the power of God, and I talked to those Indians in their own language. They let go the horses and wagon, and stood in front of me while I talked to them by the power of God. They bowed their heads and answered `yes' in a way that made me know what they meant. Father Tanner and the little girl looked on in speechless amazement. I realized our situation. Their calculation was to kill Father Tanner, burn the wagon, and take us women prisoners. This was plainly shown to me. When I stopped talking, they shook hands with all of us and returned all they had taken from Father Tanner, who gave them back the handkerchief, and I gave them berries and crackers. By this time the other two women came up and we hastened home.
"The Lord gave me a portion of the interpretation of what I had said, which is as follows: `I suppose you Indian warriors think you are going to kill us. Don't you know the Great Spirit is watching you, and knows everything in your hearts? We have come out here to gather some of our Father's fruit. We have not come to injure you: and if you harm us, or injure one hair of our heads, the Great Spirit will smite you to the earth, and you shall not have power to breath another breath. We have been driven from our homes and so have you. We have come out here to do you good and not to injure you. We are the Lord's people, and so are you; but you must cease your murders and wickedness. The Lord is displeased with it and will not prosper you if you continue in it. You think you own all this land, this timber, this water and all these horses. You do not own one thing on earth, not even the air you breathe. It all belongs to the Great Spirit.'"
In the latter part of June, 1848, Elder Tanner fitted up five teams and wagons, and with eighteen months' provisions, started for Salt Lake, celebrating the 4th of July, on the Elk Horn. Between Wood River and Laramie a six year old grand-son fell from the tongue of a wagon loaded with about 3,500 pounds. Both wheels passed obliquely over his bowels, and he died in twenty minutes. With the exception of this sad accident, the journey was prosperous, and he arrived in Salt Lake Valley on the 17th of October, and located in South Cottonwood.
In the Autumn of 1849, he was afflicted more or less with rheumatism, which continued to increase on him till the first of January, 1850, when he was confined to his bed and suffered severely until the 13th day of April, when he died "the death of the righteous." He was the father of twenty children, and has left an example worthy of imitation by his numerous posterity and by the youth of Zion everywhere.
INCIDENTS OF EXPERIENCE.
BY DANIEL TYLER.