--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Johnson, Orville S. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 25 number: 12 published: 1922-10 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Orville S. Johnson, "Vengeance Is Mine", *Improvement Era* 25, no. 12 (October 1922): 1076–1079.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera25012unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera25012unse start_page: 1076 end_page: 1079 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1922-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera25012unse publication_year: 1922 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1922, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Vengeance Is Mine Vengeance is Mine By Orville S. Johnson "Now, George dear, if you go feeling like this, you'll be sorry. President Young said there must be no thought of re- venge, or blood would be shed that should remain in some young man's veins to keep him alive." "But mother, think of it! Children left homeless, father- less, and motherless. Even lifeless!" "But son, think not of what has been done, but of what might be done if we disobey those placed by God in authority over us. God will revenge us. He has said, too, "Judge not," and you are not obeying that divine law. Think it over and ask God to help you do the right thing. If your feelings don't change you ought not to go." "Not go! Mother, would you have me a coward! Think what my friends would say. What would Jess think if I shirked when men are wanted to protect and make our homes safe? And wouldn't Clem have a good target to hit in front of Jess. He thinks as much of her now as I do, and if he gets a chance I'll be a single man without a family all my life. Mother, I have got to go. "Besides, President Young is only a man, after all, and as apt to misjudge as anybody. If something is not done to show those red devils their places we might as well begin dig- ging our individual graves at once. We'll need them, almost before we get them made. It's all right to keep people obe- dient, but it's all wrong to let them all get killed merely be- cause some man has an idea that there is a danger of the Red race becoming extinct if too many red blooded young men go after the murdering devils." "Don't, George! It would kill me now if anything should happen to you after talking like this. Pleasie, oh please! try to calm down for my sake, if nothing else!" And Mrs. Everett in sobs threw two eager arms around her son. "There, there, little mother, don't try to make a baby boy of me. You know I will do nothing that is wrong, if I can help it. I'll try for your sake to hold myself, even if I do feel dif- ferent than I act. Don't you worry, mother, I'll be all right." * * * "You are sure that Captain Andrews is camped out there?" VENGEANCE IS MINE 1077 "That's as near as I can make it out on this map. But we won't need his help in this matter. After all* that fuss and alarm this thing is turning out to be rather amusing. Only two In- dians did a lot of figuring to get away as far as they could, after doing what they did. But they're dead Indians as soon as I see them." "That's another reason why I think we should inform An- drews of what we are doing. We havte had special instructions to do so, and under no circumstances to do any fighting alone." "That's all food for weaklings. We're men, not babies. I for one am able to look after myself and the rest of you, too, if necessary, if only we can manage to teach those rascals a lesson. If we kill both of them it will be a long time before two more will try anything like that. I'm going to stick to their trail until I find them. If you will take the advice of a man who is full of righteous anger, and not to be blinded by mere ideas that halve never been tested, then follow me." The three elder members of the party held a short consulta- tion which resulted in their following Everett, more in order to protect him than as a duty. They realized that men with greater experience than theirs had worked on the present prob- lem, and that they had arrived at a correct solution. In their hearts was a great desire to keep the young man from harm. They loved him. Everybody did. He was the life of the settle- ment, but always treated advice with the contempt of the fiery youth. And it was with a fervent hope that the Indians were beyond reach that they slowly started forward on the plain trail, made the day before by two horses. Everett was so eager to find their prey, howevter, that in order to avoid another argument with him, they were forced to quicken their pace. Hope that the Indians had escaped began to grow toward night when the trail turned from its canyon course, across a desert, which all knew ended at the Colorado river. That there would be a crossing there none of them doubted. And that night three old men were pleased and smiled within, because the trail had not turned, and the river was only one day's riding. At noon the following day the party halted beside a small stream to rest their horses and refresh themselves. The trail still led toward the river. Everett was downcast. He longed for some swift means of travel. H/e knew that all his efforts would end in vain if the Indians knew they were followed. But if they thought not, perhaps there was yet a chance that they would turn again to do some plundering or hunting before leaving injvaded territory. Before eating his light lunch he walked a short distance ahead to a small knoll. Climbing it. 1078 IMPROVEMENT ERA he observed tracks made earlier. Moccassined fleet had been ahead of him. Touching one of them he almost gasped with astonishment. The dirt was soft. They couldn't be over an hour old. Quickly he scanned the country about, but saw nothing (except a rough, rugged country that marked the begin- ning of the "roughs" before reaching the river. He said nothing of his discovery to his companions, but made as quick a get-a-way as was possible. He wanted to find out whether or not the Indian who had used the knoll for a look-out had seen anything to arouse his suspicions; and it was with racing pulses that he found no signs of hurry in the trail of the horses past the knoll. It was dusk when they reached the edge of the "roughs,'* and their horses were tired. No evidence had been found that their foes suspected them and Everett had every reason to be- liefve that night would see him victor. At the rim which marked the beginning of the bad lands, the party halted. The trail had suddenly ended. Everett was disappointed; the others, doubtful of how to feel. Leaving the remainder of the party, Everett rode back on their trail. Only a short distance away he signalled for them to follow. He had found the trail, and it led along the brink, and not over it. At the first little stream they halted for the night. Everett seemed to fear that they would pass their prey without know- ing it. As soon as it was light enough to see well, however, they were again on the trail, urged forward by Everett. One short hour's travel brought them to their goal. The Indians had turned again toward the rim following an antelopie trail. They had reached the bottom of the first small ridge leading down the mountain, and were ascending it in order to descend upon the "Hog's Back." It was then that Everett saw them. Shouting to his companions to wait, he urged his horse down the ridge. The Indians heard him. They needed no in- terpreter to tell them what was expected of them. One shot from Everett's rifle did that. The bullet hit one horse between the hips, just behind the saddle. He dropped upon his belly, giving the Indian time to roll off his back before rolling over himself. The other Indian stopped, dismounted, and just as Everett stopped halfway up their ridge, they shot him. Not with rifles. They feared the noise. Already one shot had warned any one near that someone else was in the vicinity. Both arrows reached their mark, and Everett went rolling VENGEANCE IS MINE 1079 over and over down the ridge he had so eagerly climbed! His horse was left uncertain what to do! Almost before he had stopped rolling the Indians had reached him. What the feelings of the men watching the swiftly moving drama were, I can only guess, just as the reader must. But unpleasant sensations are aroused when I think of the swift, silent strokes of the knife as a human scalp was removed. I shudder as I think of the tortured body of one of humanity's finest specimens. The Indians left him there, taking his horse and scalp as payment for an attempt upon their lives, and the life of one of their horses. His friends buried him in silence. In their hearts they knew that his punishment was just. They did not know how it had happened, but they did know that the In- dians that he had tried to kill were not the ones they had started after. They were not Navajoes, but friendly Utes. And they knew, too, that Everett knew he was wrong, and had only tried to force himself to feel that the man who had brought the reports had been mistaken in saying the Indians were Navajoes. It was many years later when I saw the lone grave, but it still bears the air of tragedy. At one end is a small cedar post upon which are the words, Killed by Indians; at the other end is a round sand stone upon which is inscribed the words, George Everett, and immediately under those, Vengeance is Mine. Alone on the Mountain I sit alone on the mountain They moan of fires, all-destroying, Above the desert sand That burn by night and day, And hear the tales of the pine trees Oft caused from campfires of people That round about me stand. Who blithely go their way. They shout glad tidings of sunrise, They roar of ni8hts that are dark" Of joys throughout the day; ■, some • • They whisper beauties of sunset °er,cany°ns ^P and wide; When Light goes on its way. Of flash and crash of the lightning On mountain top and side. They murmur pleasures of landscape, ^ howl of rain and the storm Of vistas far and near; clouds They call the birds of the forest, of hail and ice and snow; And beasts that have no fear. They mock the wind as it whi8Ues , _ . ' And through their tops doth blow. They chant of flowers and green things They praise the wise All-Father That grow upon the ground; Who sits enthroned above They sing a song of thanksgiving And gives to all creation For beauty all around. Full measure of His love. Soldier Camp, Catalina Mountains (Tucson, Arizona). G. Milton Babcock