A Study in Scarlet (Sherlock Holmes 1)

&nb

sp; Lucy laughed through her tears at her father's description.

"When he comes, he will advise us for the best. But it is for you thatI am frightened, dear. One hears--one hears such dreadful stories aboutthose who oppose the Prophet: something terrible always happens tothem."

"But we haven't opposed him yet," her father answered. "It will be timeto look out for squalls when we do. We have a clear month before us; atthe end of that, I guess we had best shin out of Utah."

"Leave Utah!"

"That's about the size of it."

"But the farm?"

"We will raise as much as we can in money, and let the rest go. To tellthe truth, Lucy, it isn't the first time I have thought of doing it. Idon't care about knuckling under to any man, as these folk do to theirdarned prophet. I'm a free-born American, and it's all new to me. GuessI'm too old to learn. If he comes browsing about this farm, he mightchance to run up against a charge of buckshot travelling in the oppositedirection."

"But they won't let us leave," his daughter objected.

"Wait till Jefferson comes, and we'll soon manage that. In the meantime,don't you fret yourself, my dearie, and don't get your eyes swelled up,else he'll be walking into me when he sees you. There's nothing to beafeared about, and there's no danger at all."

John Ferrier uttered these consoling remarks in a very confident tone,but she could not help observing that he paid unusual care to thefastening of the doors that night, and that he carefully cleaned andloaded the rusty old shotgun which hung upon the wall of his bedroom.

CHAPTER IV. A FLIGHT FOR LIFE.

ON the morning which followed his interview with the Mormon Prophet,John Ferrier went in to Salt Lake City, and having found hisacquaintance, who was bound for the Nevada Mountains, he entrusted himwith his message to Jefferson Hope. In it he told the young man of theimminent danger which threatened them, and how necessary it was that heshould return. Having done thus he felt easier in his mind, and returnedhome with a lighter heart.

As he approached his farm, he was surprised to see a horse hitched toeach of the posts of the gate. Still more surprised was he on enteringto find two young men in possession of his sitting-room. One, with along pale face, was leaning back in the rocking-chair, with his feetcocked up upon the stove. The other, a bull-necked youth with coarsebloated features, was standing in front of the window with his hands inhis pocket, whistling a popular hymn. Both of them nodded to Ferrier ashe entered, and the one in the rocking-chair commenced the conversation.

"Maybe you don't know us," he said. "This here is the son of ElderDrebber, and I'm Joseph Stangerson, who travelled with you in the desertwhen the Lord stretched out His hand and gathered you into the truefold."

"As He will all the nations in His own good time," said the other in anasal voice; "He grindeth slowly but exceeding small."

John Ferrier bowed coldly. He had guessed who his visitors were.

"We have come," continued Stangerson, "at the advice of our fathers tosolicit the hand of your daughter for whichever of us may seem good toyou and to her. As I have but four wives and Brother Drebber here hasseven, it appears to me that my claim is the stronger one."

"Nay, nay, Brother Stangerson," cried the other; "the question is nothow many wives we have, but how many we can keep. My father has nowgiven over his mills to me, and I am the richer man."

"But my prospects are better," said the other, warmly. "When theLord removes my father, I shall have his tanning yard and his leatherfactory. Then I am your elder, and am higher in the Church."

"It will be for the maiden to decide," rejoined young Drebber, smirkingat his own reflection in the glass. "We will leave it all to herdecision."

During this dialogue, John Ferrier had stood fuming in the doorway,hardly able to keep his riding-whip from the backs of his two visitors.

"Look here," he said at last, striding up to them, "when my daughtersummons you, you can come, but until then I don't want to see your facesagain."

The two young Mormons stared at him in amazement. In their eyes thiscompetition between them for the maiden's hand was the highest ofhonours both to her and her father.

"There are two ways out of the room," cried Ferrier; "there is the door,and there is the window. Which do you care to use?"

His brown face looked so savage, and his gaunt hands so threatening,that his visitors sprang to their feet and beat a hurried retreat. Theold farmer followed them to the door.

"Let me know when you have settled which it is to be," he said,sardonically.

"You shall smart for this!" Stangerson cried, white with rage. "You havedefied the Prophet and the Council of Four. You shall rue it to the endof your days."

"The hand of the Lord shall be heavy upon you," cried young Drebber; "Hewill arise and smite you!"

"Then I'll start the smiting," exclaimed Ferrier furiously, and wouldhave rushed upstairs for his gun had not Lucy seized him by the arm andrestrained him. Before he could escape from her, the clatter of horses'hoofs told him that they were beyond his reach.