Helpful Visions: The Fourteenth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series. Intended for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints
Religion
Helpful Visions: The Fourteenth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series. Intended for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints
Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines
On the morning of November 19th when Patten arose and missed his father
he thought probably he had gone out to hunt for the horses, and felt
no uneasiness concerning him. He made a fire, prepared breakfast and
waited some time, but could not see or hear him anywhere. The horses
came strolling into camp and were tied up, fed and watered. Patten then
ate his meal and saddled a horse and rode back towards Wickenburg,
until he came to a small place called Seymour on the Hassayampa but
could find out nothing of his father's whereabouts. He went back to the
wagon and hunted the country close around camp but found nothing but
his father's overcoat, which was a few hundred yards from the wagon.
It being an old camp-ground, it was impossible to find his tracks. He
finally came to the conclusion that he had gone towards home, so he
hitched up his team and drove homeward until he came to Mr. Calderwoods
at Agua Fria. (Cold Water). At this place there was a well dug on the
desert about twenty miles from Salt River. Patten had traveled about
twenty-two miles before reaching this point, but was disappointed in
not hearing anything of his father. He had traveled all night and Mr.
Calderwood was up and around when he arrived. He related his story to
him and was advised by him to leave his team there and take the best
pair of horses, and hitch them to his buck-board and go on to the
Mesa. Here he could get help to come and hunt for the missing man. The
distance was forty miles, which would take all the rest of the day (the
20th). He acted on the advice, however, and arrived at his destination
at 9 p. m. The news was circulated, and in less than two hours, twenty
of the best and most experienced men at Mesa and Jonesville were on the
road, taking Patten back with them. They also took a wagon to carry
water and provisions, but most of them were on the best of horses.
They had sixty miles to ride, before beginning the search, which was
accomplished by daylight next morning. After feeding their horses and
eating a lunch they held a consultation and agreed to abide by the
following rule. If any one of the party found his tracks he was to make
a smoke and this would call the others in that direction. They then
started out in different directions. They scoured the country until
about noon, when Sern Sornson and Charles Rogers found his tracks.
They supposed they were about twelve miles from where he was lost, and
about ten miles from Agua Fria, close to the main road on the south
side. They soon gathered some brush and started a fire, putting on
plenty of green weeds, etc., to cause a smoke, and soon attracted the
attention of their comrades. His tracks were followed. They wound round
and round, going in no particular direction. Some places he would cross
his tracks eight or ten times in going one hundred yards, which made it
quite difficult to follow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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