Sherlock Holmes complete collection by sir arthur conan doyle

A Study In Scarlet PART 2 : Chapter 3 JOHN FERRIER TALKS WITH THE PROPHET

THREE weeks had passed since Jefferson Hope and his comrades haddeparted from Salt Lake City. John Ferrier's heart was sore within himwhen he thought of the young man's return, and of the impending loss ofhis adopted child. Yet her bright and happy face reconciled him to thearrangement more than any argument could have done. He had alwaysdetermined, deep down in his resolute heart, that nothing would everinduce him to allow his daughter to wed a Mormon. Such marriage heregarded as no marriage at all, but as a shame and a disgrace. Whateverhe might think of the Mormon doctrines, upon that one point he wasinflexible. He had to seal his mouth on the subject, however, for toexpress an unorthodox opinion was a dangerous matter in those days inthe Land of the Saints.Yes, a dangerous matter-so dangerous that even the most saintly daredonly whisper their religious opinions with bated breath, lest somethingwhich fell from their lips might be misconstrued, and bring down a swiftretribution upon them. The victims of persecution had now turnedpersecutors on their own account, and persecutors of the most terribledescription. Not the Inquisition of Seville, nor the German Vehmgericht,nor the secret societies of Italy, were ever able to put a more formidablemachinery in motion than that which cast a cloud over the state of Utah.Its invisibility, and the mystery which was attached to it, made thisorganization doubly terrible. It appeared to be omniscient and omnipotent,and yet was neither seen nor heard. The man who held out against theChurch vanished away, and none knew whither he had gone or what hadbefallen him. His wife and his children awaited him at home, but nofather ever returned to tell them how he had fared at the hands of hissecret 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 whichwas suspended over them. No wonder that men went about in fear andtrembling, and that even in the heart of the wilderness they dared notwhisper the doubts which oppressed them.At first this vague and terrible power was exercised only upon therecalcitrants [63] who, having embraced the Mormon faith, wishedafterwards to pervert or to abandon it. Soon, however, it took a widerrange. The supply of adult women was running short, and polygamywithout a female population on which to draw was a barren doctrineindeed. Strange rumours began to be bandied about -rumours of murdered immigrants and rifled camps in regions where Indians hadnever been seen. Fresh women appeared in the harems of theElders-women who pined and wept, and bore upon their faces the tracesof an unextinguishable horror. Belated wanderers upon the mountainsspoke of gangs of armed men, masked, stealthy, and noiseless, who flittedby them in the darkness. These tales and rumours took substance andshape, and were corroborated and recorroborated, until they resolvedthemselves into a definite name. To this day, in the lonely ranches of theWest, the name of the Danite Band, or the Avenging Angels, is a sinisterand an ill-omened one.Fuller knowledge of the organization which produced such terribleresults served to increase rather than to lessen the horror which it inspiredin the minds of men. None knew who belonged to this ruthless society.The names of the participators in the deeds of blood and violence doneunder the name of religion were kept profoundly secret. The very friendto whom you communicated your misgivings as to the Prophet and hismission might be one of those who would come forth at night with fireand sword to exact a terrible reparation. Hence every man feared hisneighbour, 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. Hisheart leapt to his mouth, for this was none other than the great BrighamYoung himself. Full of trepidation-for he knew that such a visit bodedhim little good-Ferrier ran to the door to greet the Mormon chief. Thelatter, however, received his salutations coldly, and followed him with astern face into the sitting-room."Brother Ferrier," he said, taking a seat, and eyeing the farmer keenlyfrom under his light-coloured eyelashes, "the true believers have beengood friends to you. We picked you up when you were starving in thedesert, 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 ourprotection. Is not this so?""It is so," answered John Ferrier."In return for all this we asked but one condition: that was, that youshould 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 haveneglected.""And how have I neglected it?" asked Ferrier, throwing out his hands inexpostulation. "Have I not given to the common fund? Have I notattended at the Temple? Have I not- -?""Where are your wives?" asked Young, looking round him. "Call themin, that I may greet them.""It is true that I have not married," Ferrier answered. "But women werefew, and there were many who had better claims than I. I was not a lonelyman: I had my daughter to attend to my wants.""It is of that daughter that I would speak to you," said the leader of theMormons. "She has grown to be the flower of Utah, and has found favourin the eyes of many who are high in the land." [64] John Ferrier groaned internally."There are stories of her which I would fain disbelieve-stories that sheis sealed to some Gentile. This must be the gossip of idle tongues. What isthe thirteenth rule in the code of the sainted Joseph Smith? 'Let everymaiden 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, whoprofess the holy creed, should suffer your daughter to violate it."John Ferrier made no answer, but he played nervously with his ridingwhip."Upon this one point your whole faith shall be tested-so it has beendecided in the Sacred Council of Four. The girl is young, and we wouldnot have her wed gray hairs, neither would we deprive her of all choice.We Elders have many heifers,1 but our children must also be provided.Stangerson has a son, and Drebber has a son, and either of them wouldgladly welcome your daughter to his house. Let her choose between them.They are young and rich, and of the true faith. What say you to that?"Ferrier remained silent for some little time with his brows knitted."You will give us time," he said at last. "My daughter is very young-she is scarce of an age to marry.""She shall have a month to choose," said Young, rising from his seat."At the end of that time she shall give her answer."He was passing through the door, when he turned with flushed face and flashing eyes. "It were better for you, John Ferrier," he thundered, "thatyou and she were now lying blanched skeletons upon the Sierra Blanco,than that you should put your weak wills against the orders of the HolyFour!"With a threatening gesture of his hand, he turned from the door, andFerrier heard his heavy steps scrunching along the shingly path.He was still sitting with his elbow upon his knee, considering how heshould broach the matter to his daughter, when a soft hand was laid uponhis, and looking up, he saw her standing beside him. One glance at herpale, frightened face showed him that she had heard what had passed."I could not help it," she said, in answer to his look. "His voice rangthrough the house. Oh, father, father, what shall we do?""Don't you scare yourself," he answered, drawing her to him, andpassing his broad, rough hand caressingly over her chestnut hair. "We'llfix it up somehow or another. You don't find your fancy kind o' lesseningfor this chap, do you?"A sob and a squeeze of his hand were her only answer."No; of course not. I shouldn't care to hear you say you did. He's alikely lad, and he's a Christian, which is more than these folks here, inspite o' all their praying and preaching. There's a party starting forNevada to-morrow, and I'll manage to send him a message letting himknow the hole we are in. If I know anything o' that young man, he'll beback with a speed that would whip electro-telegraphs."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 that Iam 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 betime to [65] look out for squalls when we do. We have a clear monthbefore us; at the 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. I don'tcare about knuckling under to any man, as these folk do to their darnedProphet. I'm a free-born American, and it's all new to me. Guess I'm tooold to learn. If he comes browsing about this farm, he might chance to runup against a charge of buckshot travelling in the opposite direction.""But they won't let us leave," his daughter objected."Wait till Jefferson comes, and we'll soon manage that. In themeantime, don't you fret yourself, my dearie, and don't get your eyesswelled up, else he'll be walking into me when he sees you. There'snothing to be afeared 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 the fasteningof the doors that night, and that he carefully cleaned and loaded the rustyold shot-gun which hung upon the wall of his bedroom.