A Pioneer Incident in the Life of Moses Monroe Curtis

A Pioneer Incident In the Life of Moses Monroe Curtis, of Pima, Arizona By S. C. Richardson In Provo, in 1853, just after the people began to move from the fort out on their little places, happened an incident that I think has never been written, though I am sure a few people will yet remember it. Bears were plentiful, and wolves howled on all sides. It was said the Indians would not kill a wolf, as they called them the "Great Spirit's dogs." To show how plentiful they were, one evening just before going to bed, a neighbor sister went down into a half under- ground cellar. Seeing a large animal inside, she quickly pulled the door too, and called her husband, who caught up his rifle and killed it, a large bear that had been helping himself to the provision they had put up for winter. One night, ISister Farr, hearing a great noise among her chickens ran to the coop, when a large wolf bounded out, snap- ping at her as it passed. Luckily it missed her body, but tore a great hole in her dress, as it went by. Sheep and pigs even, had to be shut in high walls to keep them from being killed. With such a picture of the scenes of those days, one can better appreciate the anxiety of the people, in the following re- markable incident. A Brother Thomas, who married one of the Turner girls, had two children, a little girl and a boy, who would often go for a ride, out to the corn field about a mile and a half east of their home. So often would the father take them in the morning to have a ride back at noon on a big load of corn, that when one Thursday afternoon they were gone, the mother, after enquiring if they were at the home of one or two of the neigh- bors without finding them, concluded they had gone back with their father for another load. Just after dark as the people were gathering for the usual Thursday evening testimony and prayer-meeting, the father came, but alone. The children had not been with him. The word went out immediately that the children had been

A PIONEER INCIDENT 807 gone since noon, and nearly every man and boy in town joined in the search party. With pitch-pine torches, they spread in a line, and started towards the field, having no idea but that they had gone after their father. Backward and forward went the string of men in ever wid- ening circles, every little while shuddering at the awful sound of coyotes. About two o'clock many of the searchers came back to the house where a number of the older people had gathered for prayer in behalf of the little ones. Moses Curtis, father of the above, wrought up to the high- est tension, stcod joining in heartfelt prayer, when a voice said, "Moses, go straight north, quick." He looked around. There was no one near. He could hardly credit his senses. The voice spoke again. "Go, quick, straight north. Speak to no one. Take no one with you. Go, quick." There was no one by him. A third time the voice urged before he recovered enough to grasp his rifle and start. As fast as he could go in the pitchy darkness, wildly strain- ing every nerve; stumbling, but prayerfully hurrying. About a mile and a half from the house, in another corn- field, he was suddenly stopped by a moan, and almost at his feet lay the little girl between two rows. He caught her to his breast, and asked where her little brother was. "Oh, he went home a long time ago," and she nestled in his arms. A few hundred yards towards home he went, so dark scarcely a thing could be seen, when he stumbled upon the little boy, lying asleep in another corn row. A rifle shot having been agreed upon as the signal that they were found, it was quickly fired. It brought help, and soon the little ones were in their mother's arms, and a comforting, abiding testimony ever in the heart of Grandpa Curtis. The children may yet be alive, but surely there are still people living there who will testify that he was led to the little ones, though they may not know the circumstances. All who know him will declare that his word is absolutely reliable, so that when he recounted his past, we could have no doubt in regard to it. Thatcher, Arizona