A Study in Scarlet

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 do

lexible. He had to seal his mouth on the subject, however, for to express an un

, 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 Inquisit

ew 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, a

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,

y. 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 hi

ged 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

evers have been good friends to you. We picked you up when you were starving in the desert, we shared our food with you, led yo

answered J

ld embrace the true faith, and conform in every way to its usages. This you

his hands in expostulation. "Have I not given to the comm

oung, looking round him. "Call

en were few, and there were many who had better claims than I. I

der of the Mormons. "She has grown to be the flower of Utah, and

er groaned

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 Genti

wer, but he played nervo

s, neither would we deprive her of all choice. We Elders have many heifers, 29 but our children must also be provided. Stangerson has a son, and Drebber has a son, an

t for some little time

t last. "My daughter is very young

Young, rising from his seat. "At the en

ter for you, John Ferrier," he thundered, "that you and she were now lying blanched skeletons upon

urned from the door, and Ferrier heard his h

er to his daughter when a soft hand was laid upon his, and looking up, he saw her standing bes

to his look. "His voice rang through the ho

road, rough hand caressingly over her chestnut hair. "We'll fix it up somehow

ze of his hand wa

, in spite o' all their praying and preaching. There's a party starting for Nevada to-morrow, and I'll manage to send him a message letti

h her tears at her

I am frightened, dear. One hears-one hears such dreadful stories about

time to look out for squalls when we do. We have a clear month be

ve U

out the si

the f

't care about knuckling under to any man, as these folk do to their darned prophet. I'm a free-born American, and it's all new to me. Guess I'm to

et us leave," his

t yourself, my dearie, and don't get your eyes swelled up, else he'll be walking into

lp observing that he paid unusual care to the fastening of the doors that night, and that h