Chapter 12 eleven escape

John Ferrier left for Salt Lake City the morning after his conference with the Mormon prophet.There he found his friend who was going to the Sierra Nevada, and took with him a letter addressed to Jefferson Hope.In it he informed him of the imminent danger which threatened them, and demanded his return.After this matter was settled, he felt a little lighter in his heart, so he came home with a happier mood. As he approached his farm, he was surprised to see a horse hitched to the posts on either side of the gate.What surprised him even more was that when he entered the house, he found two young men in the living room.One had a long, pale face; he was reclining in a rocking-chair with his feet stretched out over the fire.The other was big and ugly and haughty; he stood at the window with his hands in his trouser pockets, blowing popular hymns.They nodded to Ferrier as he entered.The one lying on the chair spoke first.

He said: "Perhaps you don't know us yet, this is the son of Elder Drebber, and I am Joseph Stangerson. When God stretches out His holy hand and brings you into the good flock, we will Traveled in the desert with you." Another nasal voice said heavily: "God will eventually bring in people from all over the world. Although God grinds slowly, he is very fine, without any omissions." John Ferrier bowed grimly.He had already guessed who the two visitors were. Stangerson continued: "We have come to propose to your daughter on the instructions of our father. Please you and your daughter have a look, which of the two of us do you like and who is the most suitable. I Well, there are only four wives, but Brother Drebber has seven. So, I think, my needs are greater than his.

Another cried out, "No, no, Brother Stangerson. The question is not how many wives we have, but how many you and I can support. My father has given me his mill now, so, I'm richer than you." Stangerson said fiercely: "But my hope is greater than yours. When God invites my old man, I can get his tanning yard and tannery. At that time, I am your elder now, and my status in the church will be higher than yours." Looking at himself in the mirror, Little Drebber put on a smile and said, "Then it's up to the girl to decide. We'd better let her choose." John Ferrier stood by the door, his lungs exploding, all the while this conversation was going on; he could hardly resist lashing the two guests around the back with his riding-whip.

Finally, he strode up to them and shouted: "Listen, you can only come here when my daughter calls you. But, when I don't call you, I don't want to see your face again." Surprised, the two young Mormons stared at Ferrier with wide eyes.It seemed to them that it was a supreme honor, both for his daughter and for him, that they were competing to propose to his daughter in this way. cried Ferrier, "There are two ways to figure out this room. One is the door, the other is the window. Which one would you like to take?" His brown face was very fierce and terrible, and his hands with blue veins were so terrible.Seeing that the situation was not going well, his two guests jumped up and ran away.The old farmer followed him all the way to the door.

He said sarcastically: "You two have discussed which one is suitable, please let me know." "You're asking for trouble!" cried Stangerson, turning pale with anger. "You dare to defy the Prophet and the Council of the Four Sages. You will regret it for the rest of your life!" Little Drew also cried, "God's hand will punish you severely. If he can make you live, he can also kill you!" "Well, I want you to die first," cried Ferrier angrily.If Lucy had not caught him by the arm, and stopped him, he would have rushed upstairs and brought out his gun.Before he had time to break free from Lucy's grasp, he heard a sound of hoofbeats, and he knew they were too far away to catch up.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he said loudly: "These two nonsense little rascals! Rather than marrying you to any of them, my child, you would be dead and clean." She replied excitedly, "Dad, I will certainly do the same. But Jefferson will be back soon." "Yes, he's coming back soon. The sooner the better, we don't know what's next for them." Indeed, now is the most critical time for this strong old farmer and his adoptive daughter, and they desperately need someone who can plan for them to help them.Never before in the entire history of this immigrant region has there been such a flagrant disobedience to the power of the Four Sages.If it is said that some small mistakes will be severely punished, then what will be the result of doing such a big treasonous thing.Ferrier knew that neither his wealth nor his position would help him.Prior to this, some famous and rich people like him were secretly killed, and all their properties were returned to the church.He was a brave man, but he shuddered at the thought of the looming terror that befell him.He can grit his teeth and bravely bear any danger that is obvious; however, this kind of situation that makes people panic all day long is unbearable.Even so, he kept his fears hidden from his daughter, and pretended to be nonchalant.However, his daughter's clever eyes have already seen that he is worried and uneasy.

He predicted that this behavior would inevitably attract some kind of warning from Yang.Things were as expected, but the way of warning was something he never expected.The next morning, when Ferrier woke up, he was surprised to find that on the quilt, just at the place where his chest was, there was a note pinned to it, on which was written a line of heavy handwriting crookedly: "You are limited to twenty-nine days to rectify the evil and return to the right, and when the time expires—" That stroke after the word is more frightening than any threat.How this warning came into his house puzzled John Ferrier; for his servants slept in a house separate from the house, and all The doors and windows are all bolted.He crumpled up the note and said nothing to his daughter.However, this unexpected incident made him feel terrified.The "twenty-nine days" written on the note clearly refers to the remaining days of the January period specified by Young.Against an enemy with such mysterious power, what use is blood and courage alone?The hand that nailed the note could have stabbed a knife into his heart, and he would never know who killed him.

The next morning, things shocked Ferrier even more.When they sat down to breakfast, Lucy suddenly pointed her hand upwards and cried out.It turned out that in the center of the ceiling, there was a number "28", apparently drawn with a charred stick.His daughter was baffled by the figure, and he did not explain it to her.That night, he didn't sleep, took his gun and stood guard all night.Overnight, he saw nothing and heard nothing.However, the next morning, a big "27" was written on the door of his house again. And so day after day passed, and as uncomfortably as day dawned, he found his hidden enemy counting numbers and, in obvious places, writing that his one-month deadline was still left. for a few days.Sometimes this fatal number appears on the wall, sometimes on the floor.On other occasions, the numbers were written on small slips of paper and stuck to garden gates or railings.John Ferrier, with all his vigilance, could never discover when these daily warnings were being made.The sight of these warnings filled him with an almost superstitious horror.So he was restless and haggard day by day, and his eyes showed the frightened and panicked look of a wild animal being pursued.His only hope now was to wait for the return of the young hunter from Nevada.

Twenty days turned into fifteen days, and fifteen days turned into ten days, and there was still no news from people in the distance.The deadline is decreasing day by day, but there is still no sign of him.Whenever there was the sound of galloping horses' hooves on the road, or the shouts of the coachmen yelling at the carts and herds, the old farmer couldn't help running to the gate and looking around, thinking that his savior had finally arrived.At last, seeing the time limit changed from five days to four, and from four to three, he lost heart, and gave up all hope of escape.He was helpless alone, and he was not familiar with the conditions of the mountains surrounding the immigration area, so he knew that he was powerless to escape.The thoroughfare has been strictly guarded, and no one can pass without the order of the "Four Saints".What can he do? It seems that there is no way out, and his imminent disaster seems unavoidable.But the old man's resolve never wavered, and he would rather die than endure this insult to his daughter.

One evening he sat alone, brooding over his own thoughts; but he could not think of any way of escaping this calamity.This morning, a "2" has appeared on the wall of the house, and tomorrow is the last day of the January deadline.What will happen then?He imagined all sorts of vague and frightening scenarios.After his death, what would happen to his daughter?Could it be that they really couldn't escape the invisible net that was cast around them?When he thought of his powerlessness, he couldn't help crying on the table. what is this?In the silence, he heard a slight scratching sound.Although the sound is very soft, it can be heard very clearly in the quieter night.The sound came from the other side of the door.Ferrier then crept into the drawing-room, where he listened intently, holding his breath.After a pause, the slight, eerie sound came again.Someone had evidently tapped lightly on the door.Could this be the midnight assassin who came to carry out the mission of the secret court assassination?Or, is this the bastard who is writing that the last day of the deadline has arrived?It seemed to John Ferrier now that a quick death would be better than this chilling, restless torment.So he jumped forward, drew the bolt, and opened the door.

There was silence outside the door.The night is bright and bright, with stars twinkling overhead.All that appeared before the old man was a front garden, surrounded by a fence and a gate.But there was no one in the garden or on the road.Ferrier looked left and right, breathed a sigh of relief, and relieved himself.However, he inadvertently glanced down at his feet, and was taken aback. He saw a person lying on the ground with his hands and feet stretched out straight. Seeing this scene, he was terrified.He leaned against the wall and put his hands on his throat, so he didn't cry out.At first, he thought that the person lying on the ground might be a wounded or dying person.However, when he took a closer look, he saw that he was moving his hands and feet on the ground, crawling swiftly and soundlessly like a snake, until he crawled into the living room.No sooner had the man climbed into the room than he stood up and closed the door.It was the fierce face and resolute expression of Jefferson Hope that stood before the stunned old farmer. "My God!" said John Ferrier angrily, "you frighten me. Why did you come in like this?" "Give me some food," Hope said hoarsely, "I haven't had time to take a bite for two days and two nights." The master's supper was still on the table, so he ran over, grabbed cold meat and bread, and Gobble it up.After he had had his fill, he asked, "How is Lucy?" "Very well. She doesn't know the dangers," the father replied. "That's good. The house is under surveillance on all sides. That's why I crawled all the way in. They're good enough, but they're not close enough to catch a good hunter. " John Ferrier was quite another man now, and he knew he had a faithful and reliable assistant.He seized the young man's rough hand, squeezed it gratefully, and said, "You are a man to be proud of. There is no one else who would share our dangers and difficulties but you." The young hunter replied: "You are right, old sir. I respect you, but if this matter concerns you alone, then before I stick my head into such a hornet's nest I'd have thought twice before. I came for Lucy, and I thought I'd be able to go away with Lucy before they got it, and there wouldn't be a Hope family in Utah." "What shall we do now?" "Tomorrow is your last day. Unless you act tonight, you will be too late. I got a mule and two horses, and they are waiting at Eagle Valley. How much money do you have?" "Two thousand gold coins and five thousand yuan notes." "Enough. Besides, I've got so much money to scrape together. We've got to go over the mountains to Carson City. You'd better wake Lucy. It's convenient that the servants don't sleep in this room." .” When Ferrier went in to tell his daughter to get ready for the journey, Jefferson Hope packed up all the eatable things he could find, and filled a magnetic bottle with water; He knew that wells in the mountains were few and far between.He had hardly finished packing when the farmer and his daughter came out together, all dressed and ready to go.There was a very affectionate greeting from the lovers, but very briefly, for every minute was precious now, and there was much to do. "We must go at once," said Jefferson Hope, in a voice low and resolute, like a man who knows the danger ahead, but has made up his mind to get through it. They're all guarded. Still, if we're careful, we can get out the side window and get away across the field. Once we're on the road, we'll go two miles to Eagle's Glen, where the horses are waiting. Before dawn, we must drive over the half-mountain." Ferrier asked, "What if someone stands in the way?" Hope patted the butt of the revolver that was exposed under the skirt of his coat, and said with a grinning grin: "Even if we are outnumbered, we shall at least kill two or three of them." All the lights in the house had already been extinguished.Ferrier looked out of the darkened window at the land that had once been his, and was now about to give it up for good.For this sacrifice, he has always brooded.But, when he thought of his daughter's honor and happiness, he would have given it all to himself.The rustling woods and the endless peaceful fields seem so peaceful and make people feel happy.But no one would expect that this is the haunt of those murderous demon kings.The young hunter's pale face and tense expression showed that when he climbed close to the house, he had already seen clearly the dangerous situation here. Ferrier carried the purse; Jefferson Hope with his modest rations and water; Lucy a little bag containing some of her precious things.Slowly, slowly, very cautiously, they opened the window; and when a dark cloud obscured the night, they went out, one after the other, into the little garden.They held their breath, stooped, and stomped across the garden into the shadow of the garden hedge.They followed the fence until they came to a gap that opened into a wheat field.They had just come to this gap when Hope seized both father and daughter, and dragged them into the shadows.They lay there silently, trembling with fright. This was also due to Hope's long training on the prairie, which made his ears as sharp as a lynx.Just as they lay down, they heard the miserable cry of an owl a few steps away from them.At the same time, there was another echo immediately not far away.I saw a faint figure appearing at the gap they made with their own hands. He uttered this miserable signal again, and immediately, another person came out of the dark place in response. "Tomorrow in the middle of the night, we will attack when the owl crows three times." The first person said so, and it seemed that he was the leader. The other replied, "Okay, shall I pass it on to Brother Drebber?" "Tell him and let him pass it on to the others. Nine to seven!" "Seven to five!" continued another.So, the two parted ways and left quietly.The last two sentences they said were obviously a question-and-answer signal.No sooner had they gone, and the sound of their footsteps died away, than Jefferson Hope sprang to his feet, and helping his companion through the gap, led them across the field as swiftly as he could.At this time, Lucy seemed to be exhausted, so he half-supported and half-dragged her to run away. "Hurry up! Hurry up!" He urged again and again panting, "We have already crossed the cordon. Everything depends on speed, run!" As soon as they got onto the road, they moved forward quickly.On the way, they encountered someone once, so they immediately dodged into a wheat field to avoid being seen through.As they approached the edge of the town, Hope turned again into a rough path leading up into the mountains.In the darkness, two towering and dark mountains appeared in front of my eyes.The narrow channel in which they traveled was the Valley of the Eagles, and here the horses waited for them.Hope, with his infallible skill, picked his way among the rocks, and followed a dry stream to a secluded place screened by rocks.Three faithful mules and horses were tied there.Lucy mounted a mule.Old Ferrier took his purse and mounted a horse.Jefferson Hope, on the other, led them along the steep pass. To anyone who is not familiar with the naked face of nature, such rough mountain roads will surely scare them away.On one side of the mountain road is a cliff with steep rocks, dark and precarious; the stone beams on the cliff are like ribs on the body of a devil fossil.On the other side, there are rocks criss-crossing, with no way to go.In the middle, there is only this winding path.Some places are so narrow that only one person can pass through.The mountain road is rugged and difficult, and only those who are good at riding horses can pass.Despite these many difficulties, the mood of these fugitives is happy, because they take a step forward, and they are also a step away from the place of tyranny they just escaped from. However, they soon discovered that they still had not escaped the Mormon sphere of influence.When they came to the most desolate part of the mountain road, Lucy suddenly screamed and pointed upwards.It turned out that there was a rock overlooking the mountain road, which looked very dark and monotonous against the skylight, and a guard post stood alone on the rock.He saw them when they spotted him.Then, in the quiet valley, there was a shout from the troops: "Who is walking there?" "A passenger for Nevada," answered Jefferson Hope, holding his rifle at the saddle. They could see the lone sentry finger on the trigger, looking down at them, as if dissatisfied with their answers. The sentinel shouted again, "Who gave permission?" Ferrier replied, "Allowed by the Four Saints." From his experience in Mormonism, as far as he knew, the highest authority in the religion was the Four Saints. "Nine to seven," the sentinel called. "Seven to five," replied Jefferson Hope at once, recalling the password he had heard in the garden. The people above said: "Go, God bless you." After passing this pass, the road ahead will be widened, and the horses can let go and trot forward.Looking back, they could still see the sentry standing there alone, leaning on his gun.At this moment, they knew that they had crossed the frontier of the Mormon parish, and that freedom lay ahead.

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