twenty feet--and
the faithful again worked with a will. The dilatory movements of the
silver caused anxiety to Mr. Isaac Hale, with whom the diggers had been
"boarding round." Hale was a stiff old Methodist whose business judgment
told him that he was taking too much stock in this "big bonanza." For
all his anxiety, the silver again flitted away, and alighted fifty feet
beyond the big hole. They determined to capture it if they ran the hill
through a sieve. The third hole had been sunk fifteen out of the
necessary twenty feet when the treasure once more jumped to the other
side of the big hole. Then the prophet had a vision: the blood of a
black sheep must be shed and sprinkled around the diggings. Black sheep
were scarce, and while they waited for one the faithful obtained their
needed rest. At length, no sheep appearing, Joe said that a black dog
might answer. A dog, therefore, was killed, and the blood was sprinkled
on the ground. After that the silver never went far away. Still, it
waltzed about the big hole in such a lively manner that frequent
tunnelling to effect its capture availed nothing. At last the prophet
decided that it was of no use to dig unless one of their number was made
a sacrifice. None of the faithful responded to his call, and thus the
magnificent scheme was abandoned. Oliver Harper, one of the diggers who
furnished the money, was soon afterward murdered. The prophet thought
this might answer for a sacrifice: he again rallied the diggers, but the
charm remained stubborn and would not reveal the silver.[2]

There was, however, another object for which Smith said the Lord had
sent him to Susquehanna; and that was--a wife. Until he obtained one
there was no use in trying to get certain buried treasures at Palymra. A
headless Spaniard guarded it with great vigilance, but would, it
appeared, be driven away if Smith should shake millinery and dry-goods
bills at him. Joseph stopped at the house of Isaac Hale, already noticed
as having furnished board to the diggers. Mr. Hale owned a farm on the
north side of the river, a mile and a half below the present borough of
Susquehanna. He had three daughters, two of them already married. The
second daughter, Emma, was easily persuaded to join her fortunes with
those of the adventurer. The father, however, made so much opposition
that they crossed over into the State of New York, and were married at
Windsor, a neighboring town. This was probably early in 1826. Mr