One morning I missed Bob. I always ran to see him when I first got up.
Sometimes it was very hard for Bob to walk, and when the warm spring
sunshine came our boys and grandpa would put Bob in a nice place to lay.
Now I could not find him, and when I saw mother I saw that she had been
weeping and was now silent when I asked her about Bob. I ran over to
Auntie Loaney's. There was grandpa. He was sobbing as if his heart would
break and our boys were trying to comfort him by telling him Bob had not
suffered a moment. Then I realized. Bob, my old friend, was dead, and I
sobbed, "Oh, boys, what made you kill Bob?" Then they tried to explain.
I could not listen, I could not understand why it should be done. Then
Auntie and Uncle Loaney said, "Now dear children do not grieve, poor
old Bob was too old to live any longer. It is best his sufferings are
over." We were all sad over the faithful dog's death. It was several
weeks before grandpa and I could feel it was for the best. We buried him
where the birds sang first in the spring.
[Illustration: KING STRANG'S RESIDENCE, BUILT IN 1850.]
Father now thought it best to move to the head of the island, his work
being there with Mr. Cable. We were beginning to fear the Mormons, as
they had greatly changed toward us. In their travels up and down the
island they most always stopped at our house. And sometimes there would
be five or six, and very often they would ask for a meal, which we never
refused to give them. Very often they remained all night, and then they
were always sure to let us see the big knives they carried hanging to
the belt they wore. Towards the last of our stay they carried a gun with
them as well. When they came to our doors they never rapped, but simply
walked in and helped themselves to a chair. We were told by some of
their own people who were disgusted with Strang's doctrine that these
men were just obeying the King's commands. He was trying to make all the
Gentile people know the Mormons were to have their own way on the
island. Just as fast as the Gentiles moved away from the Mormon
settlement the Mormons followed and built their homes near to them. The
Bennett brothers had already left their home at the harbor and gone to
the Gentile settlement.