, as Brigham ordered, the people found a
great deal of fault with me. Mrs. Armstrong had some money left,
and she told me to take it and send for supplies and seed corn. I
did take it, and sent four teams to Missouri for corn and
provisions, and then set all hands at work building the fort and
putting the land in order for the crop.

About the beginning of May thirty-eight warriors of the Oto tribe
came to our camp. They were in full paint, and on the warpath.
They came in on the yell, and at full speed. It was just
daylight; I was laying the foundation of a house when they came
to me. I threw logs against them as if I did not see them, but
most of the brethren kept out of sight.

The Indians began to build a fire in my garden, and one raised
his gun to shoot one of my oxen which the boys were driving up.
The majority of the Indians formed a half circle, holding their
bows fully strung, and commenced a war dance. We had been told
not to shoot Indians, but to take sticks and whale them when they
commenced any depredations. As the Indian took the leather casing
from his gun so that he could shoot, I rushed them with a heavy
club, with the intention of knocking down as many as I could. I
could speak their language some, and I told them I would kill
them all if they shot my ox. They saw that I meant what I said.
Then the two chiefs held out their hands, and yelled to the
warrior not to shoot. He lowered his gun and returned to the
crowd, but he was very angry. The other Indians seemed amazed,
and stood as if paralyzed. Old man Knight followed me with a
club, and stood by me all the time. Joseph Busby said:

"Hold on, Brother Lee, they outnumber us."

"For all that," said I, "there are not Indians enough in their
nation to make me stand by and see them shoot down my oxen before
my eyes."

Busby then ran into the house to load my gun, but he was so
frightened he could not get the powder in it, and my wife Rachel
loaded it for him. I looked around to see how things were, and
saw seven of my wives standing with guns in their hands, ready to
shoot if I was attacked. I succeeded in driving the Indians from
the settlement.

Some time after the Indians had gone away an old chief returned
and brought an ax that he said one of his bucks had stolen. I
gave him a little ammunition and bread, and he left me as a
friend.

My firm stand saved the settlement at that time and secured it
from molestation in the future. The Indian