And while he, by a mighty effort, had held down his arms and let her turn away, the woman for whose memory he did it was the wife of an enemy, caring nothing for his fidelity, sure to feel not more than amused pity for him should she ever know of it.  Surely, it had been a brave struggle—­for nothing.

But again the saving thought came that he was being tried for a purpose, for some great work.  And now it seemed that the time of it must be near.  As to what it was there could be little question:  it must be to free his people forever from Gentile aggression or interference.  Everything pointed to that.  He was to be entrusted with great powers, and be made a Lion of the Lord to lead them to their rightful glory.

He was eager to be back to the mountains where he could fitly receive this new power, and becomingly make it known that he had been chosen of Heaven to free them forever from the harassing Gentile.  He felt instinctively that a climax was close at hand—­some dread moment of turning that would try the faith of the Saints once for all—­try his own faith as well, and at last bring his great Witness before him, if his soul should survive the perilous ordeal.  For he had never ceased to wait for this heavenly Witness—­something he needed—­he knew not what—­some great want of his soul unsatisfied despite all the teachings of the temple priesthood.  The hunger gnawed in his heart,—­a hunger that only his Witness could feed.

When the hand-cart party came in across the prairies of Iowa he made all haste to be off with it to the valley of the Lake.  Several such parties had left the Missouri earlier in the season.  His own was to be the last.  There were six hundred of them, young and old, men, women, and children.  Their carts moved on two light wheels with two projecting shafts of hickory joined by a cross-piece.  He was indignant to learn that the Gentiles along the route of their march across Iowa had tried to beguile these people from their faith.  And even while they were in camp on the Missouri there were still ungodly ones to warn them that they were incurring grave dangers by starting across the plains so late in the season.

With rare fervour he rallied the company from these attacks, pointed out the divine source of the hand-cart plan, prophesied blessings and abundance upon them for their faith in starting, and dwelt warningly upon the sin they would be guilty of should they disobey their leader and refuse to start.

They responded bravely, and by the middle of August all was ready for the march.  He divided them into hundreds, allotting to each hundred five tents, twenty hand-carts, and one wagon, drawn by three yokes of oxen, to carry the tents and provisions.  Families with more young men than were needed to push their own carts helped families not so well provided; but many carts had to be pushed by young girls and women.