As copied from An Enduring Legacy, Vol. 11, pg 65. Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1988.

[West Weber – Sarah Ellen Martin Holmes, 1856-1945]

Pg 65

I was always a little afraid of the Indians who lived just west of us on the hill; I think my mother was, too, although we were schooled never to show our fear.  My brother and sisters used to play with them all the time, but not I.  The Indians could always beat the white boys when they played games together.  They delighted to tease us children, the squaws especially, for when they came on their regular begging excursions to my father’s home, they would threaten to steal or harm me until they made me cry.  Then they would laugh.

I was coming home from school one afternoon when I saw two Indians standing in the doorway.  I thought, of course, they would go on to camp, so I planned to go the other way and not meet them, but I did.  I turned out into the snow, which was about three feet deep on each side of the walk.  The old lady turned out in front of me; I stepped back and so did she; I went out into the snow again, and she did likewise.  I cried and hollered to mother.  The Indians mimicked and laughed at me.  Finally, they thought they had teased me enough so they stepped out of the path and motioned for me to go on. That was the worst scare I ever had from the Indians.  They thought it was quite a joke, but I didn’t.  They were in and out of our house every day.  Sometimes they would have serviceberries to sell or some other dried fruit.