They were now in the land of alkaline deserts, of sage-brush and greasewood, of sad, bleak, deadly stretches; a land where the favour of Heaven might have to be called upon if they were to survive.

Yet it was a land not without inspiration,--a land of immense distances, of long, dim perspectives, and of dreamy visions in the far, vague haze.

In such a land, thought Joel Rae, the spirit of the Lord must draw closer to the children of earth.

In such a land no miracle should be too difficult.
And so it came that he was presently enabled to put in Brigham's way the opportunity of performing a work of mercy which he himself would have been glad to do, but for the fear of affronting the Prophet.
A band of mounted Sioux had met them one day with friendly advances and stopped to trade.

Among the gaudy warriors Joel Rae's attention was called to a boy who had lost an arm.