A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle
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but took advantage of every opportunity to urge her horse on in_the hopes of pushing her way through_the cavalcade . unfortunately the horns of one_of_the creatures, either by accident or design, came in violent contact with_the flank of_the mustang, and excited it to madness . in an instant it reared up upon its hind legs with a snort of rage, and pranced and tossed in a way that_would_have unseated any but a most skilful rider . the situation was full of peril . every plunge of_the excited horse brought it against the horns again, and goaded it to fresh madness . it_was all that_the girl could do to_keep herself in_the saddle, yet a slip would mean a terrible death under the hoofs of_the unwieldy and terrified animals . unaccustomed to sudden emergencies, her head began to swim, and her grip upon_the bridle to relax .Choked by_the rising cloud of dust and by_the steam from_the struggling creatures, she might_have abandoned her efforts in despair, but for a kindly voice at her elbow which assured her of assistance . at_the same moment asinewy brown hand caught the frightened horse by_the curb, and forcing a way through_the drove, soon brought her to_the outskirts .

" you're not hurt, I_hope, miss," said her preserver, respectfully .

she looked up at his dark, fierce face, and laughed saucily ."I'm awful frightened," she said, naively; " whoever would_have thought that poncho would_have_been so scared by alot of cows ? "

" thank god you kept your seat," the other said earnestly . he_was a tall, savage- looking young fellow, mounted on a powerful roan horse, and clad in_the rough dress of a hunter, with a long rifle slung over his shoulders ."I guess you_are the daughter of John Ferrier," he remarked, " I_saw you ride down from_his house . when_you see him, ask him if he remembers the Jefferson Hopes of St . Louis . if he's the same Ferrier, my father and he were pretty thick ."

"Hadn't you better come and ask yourself ? " she asked, demurely .

the young fellow seemed pleased at_the suggestion, and_his dark eyes sparkled with pleasure ."I'll do_so," he_said, " we've been in_the mountains for two months, and are_not over and above in visiting condition . he_must take us as he finds us ."

" he has a good_deal to_thank_you_for, and so have I," she answered, " he's awful fond of me . if those cows had jumped on me he'd have never got over it ."

" neither would I," said her companion .

" you ! well, I don't see that_it would make much matter to_you, anyhow . you ain't even a friend of ours ."

the young hunter's dark face grew so gloomy over this remark that Lucy Ferrier laughed aloud .

" there, I didn't mean that," she said; " of_course, you_are a friend now . you_must come and_see us . now I_must push along, or father won't trust me with_his business any more . good-bye ! "

" good-bye," he answered, raising his broad sombrero, and bending over her little hand . she wheeled her mustang round, gave it a cut with her riding- whip, and darted away down the broad road in arolling cloud of dust .

young Jefferson hope rode on with_his companions, gloomy and taciturn . he and_they had_been among_the Nevada Mountains prospecting for silver, and were returning to Salt_Lake_City in_the hope of raising capital enough to work some lodes which they had discovered . he had_been as keen as any of_them upon_the business until this sudden incident had drawn his thoughts into another channel . the sight of_the fair young girl, as frank and wholesome as_the sierra breezes, had stirred his volcanic, untamed heart to its very depths . when she had vanished from_his sight, he realized that a crisis had come in_his life, and_that neither silver speculations nor any_other questions could ever be of_such importance to him as_this new and all-absorbing one . the love which had sprung up in_his heart was not the sudden, changeable fancy of a boy, but rather the wild, fierce passion of a man of strong will and imperious temper . he had_been accustomed to succeed in all that he undertook . he swore in_his heart that he_would_not fail in_this if human effort and human perseverance could render him successful .

he_called on John Ferrier that night, and many_times again, until his face was a familiar one at_the farm- house .John, cooped up in_the valley, and absorbed in_his work, had had little chance of learning the news of_the outside world during_the_last twelve years . all this Jefferson hope was able to_tell him, and in a style which interested Lucy as_well as her father . he had_been a pioneer in California, and could narrate many a strange tale of fortunes made and fortunes lost in those wild, halcyon days . he had_been a scout too, and a trapper, a silver explorer, and a ranchman . wherever stirring adventures were to_be had, Jefferson hope had_been there in search of_them . he soon became afavourite with_the old farmer, who spoke eloquently of_his virtues . on_such occasions, Lucy was silent, but her blushing cheek and her bright, happy eyes, showed only too clearly that her young heart was no longer her own . her honest father may not have observed these symptoms, but they were assuredly not thrown away upon_the man who had won her affections .

it_was a summer evening when he_came galloping down the road and pulled up at_the gate . she was at_the doorway, and came down to meet him . he threw the bridle over the fence and strode up the pathway .

" I_am off, Lucy," he_said, taking her two hands in_his, and gazing tenderly down into her face; "I won't ask_you to_come with me now, but will_you be ready to_come when I_am here again ? "

" and when will that be ? " she asked, blushing and laughing .

"A couple of months at_the outside . i_will come and claim you then, my darling . there's no one who_can stand between_us ."

" and how about father ? " she asked .

" he has_given his consent, provided we get these mines working all right . I_have no fear on_that head ."

"Oh, well; of_course, if_you and father have arranged it all, there's no more to_be said," she whispered, with her cheek against his broad breast .

" thank god ! " he_said, hoarsely, stooping and kissing her ." it_is settled, then . the longer I stay, the harder it_will_be to_go . they_are waiting for_me at_the canon . good-bye, my own darling -- good-bye . in two months you shall see me ."

he tore himself from her as he spoke, and, flinging himself upon his horse, galloped furiously away, never even looking round, as_though afraid that his resolution might fail him if he_took one glance at what he_was leaving . she stood at_the gate, gazing after him until he vanished from her sight . then she walked back into_the house, the happiest girl in all Utah .

chapter III .

JOHN FERRIER TALKS with_the prophet .

three weeks had passed since Jefferson hope and_his comrades had departed from Salt_Lake_City .John Ferrier's heart was sore within him when he thought of_the young man's return, and of_the impending loss of_his adopted child . yet her bright and happy face reconciled him to_the arrangement more than any argument could_have done . he had always determined, deep down in_his resolute heart, that nothing would ever induce him to allow his daughter to wed a Mormon . such a marriage he regarded as no marriage at all, but as a shame and a disgrace . whatever he might think of_the Mormon doctrines, upon that one point he_was inflexible . he had to seal his mouth on_the_subject, however, for to express an unorthodox opinion was a dangerous matter in those days in_the land of_the Saints .

yes, a dangerous matter -- so dangerous that even the most saintly dared only whisper their religious opinions with bated breath, lest something which fell from their lips might_be misconstrued, and bring down a swift retribution upon them . the victims of persecution had now turned persecutors on their own account, and persecutors of_the most terrible description . not the inquisition of Seville, nor the German Vehm-gericht, nor the secret Societies of Italy, were ever able to_put a more formidable machinery in motion than that which cast a cloud over the state of Utah .

its invisibility, and_the mystery which_was attached to_it, made this organization doubly terrible . it appeared to_be omniscient and omnipotent, and yet was neither seen nor heard . the man who held out against the church vanished away, and none knew whither he had gone or what had befallen him . his wife and_his children awaited him at home, but no father ever returned to_tell them how he had fared at_the hands of_his secret judges .a rash word or a hasty act was followed by annihilation, and yet none knew what the nature might_be of_this terrible power which_was suspended over them . no wonder that men went about in fear and trembling, and_that even in_the heart of_the wilderness they dared not whisper the doubts which oppressed them .

at first this vague and terrible power was exercised only upon_the recalcitrants who, having embraced the Mormon faith, wished afterwards to pervert or to abandon it . soon, however, it took a wider range . the supply of adult women was running short, and polygamy without a female population on_which to draw was a barren doctrine indeed . strange rumours began to_be bandied about -- rumours of murdered immigrants and rifled camps in regions where Indians had never been seen . fresh women appeared in_the harems of_the Elders -- women who pined and wept, and bore upon their faces the traces of an unextinguishable horror . belated wanderers upon_the mountains spoke of gangs of armed men, masked, stealthy, and noiseless, who flitted by_them in_the darkness . these tales and rumours took substance and shape, and were corroborated and re-corroborated, until they resolved themselves into a definite name . to_this day, in_the lonely ranches of_the west, the name of_the Danite band, or the Avenging Angels, is a sinister and an ill-omened one .

fuller knowledge of_the organization which produced such terrible results served to increase rather than to lessen the horror which it inspired in_the minds of men . none knew who belonged to_this ruthless society . the names of_the participators in_the deeds of blood and violence done under the name of religion were kept profoundly secret . the very friend to_whom you communicated your misgivings as_to_the prophet and_his mission, might_be one of_those who_would come forth at night with fire and sword to exact a terrible reparation . hence every man feared his neighbour, and none spoke of_the things which were nearest his heart .

one fine morning, John Ferrier was about to set out to_his wheatfields, when he heard the click of_the latch, and, looking through_the window, saw a stout, sandy-haired, middle- aged man coming up the pathway . his heart leapt to_his mouth, for_this was none other_than the great Brigham young himself . full of trepidation -- for he_knew that such a visit boded him little good -- Ferrier ran to_the door to greet the Mormon chief . the latter, however, received his salutations coldly, and followed him with a stern face into_the sitting- room .

" brother Ferrier," he_said, taking a seat, and eyeing the farmer keenly from under his light-coloured eyelashes, " the true believers have_been good friends to_you . we picked you up when_you were starving in_the desert, we shared our food with_you, led you safe to_the chosen valley, gave_you a goodly share of land, and allowed you to wax rich under our protection . is_not this so ? "

" it_is so," answered John Ferrier .

" in return for all this we asked but one condition: that was, that you_should embrace the true faith, and conform in every way to its usages . this you promised to_do, and this, if common report says truly, you_have neglected ."

" and how have I neglected it ? " asked Ferrier, throwing out his hands in expostulation ." have I not given to_the common fund ? have I not attended at_the temple ? have I not ---- ? "

" where are your wives ? " asked young, looking round him ." call them in, that I_may greet them ."

" it_is true that I_have_not married," Ferrier answered ." but women were few, and there were many who had better claims than I . i_was not a lonely man: I had my daughter to attend to my wants ."

" it_is of_that daughter that i_would speak to_you," said the leader of_the Mormons ." she has grown to_be the flower of Utah, and has found favour in_the eyes of many who_are high in_the land ."

John Ferrier groaned internally .

" there_are stories of her which i_would fain disbelieve -- stories that she_is sealed to some gentile . this must_be the gossip of idle tongues . what_is the thirteenth rule in_the code of_the sainted Joseph smith ? ` let every maiden of_the true faith marry one_of_the elect; for if she wed a gentile, she commits a grievous sin .' this being so, it_is impossible that you, who profess the holy creed, should suffer your daughter to violate it ."

John Ferrier made no answer, but he played nervously with_his riding- whip .

" upon_this one point your whole faith shall be tested -- so it_has_been decided in_the sacred council of Four . the girl is young, and we_would_not have her wed grey hairs, neither would we deprive her of all choice . we Elders have many heifers, * but our children must also be provided .Stangerson has a son, and Drebber has a son, and either

Section [1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18]