Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 November 1894 — A STUDY IN SCARLET. [ARTICLE]

A STUDY IN SCARLET.

BY A. CONAN DOYLE.

PART 11. [Being a reprint from the reminiscences of John H. Watson, M. D., late of the Army Mectica - '.V ---77- --------- CHAPTER I --Continued.

“My name is John Perrier,” the wanderer explained; “me and that little ’un are all that’s left o’ tweutyoixe people. The rest is all dead o’ thirst and hunger away down in the .. south.” “Is she your child?” asked some one. “I guess she is now,” the other cried, defiantly; “she’s mine ’cause I saved her. No man will take her away from me. She’s Lucy Perrier from this day on. Who are you, though?" he continued, glancing with curiosity at his stalwart, sun- * burned rescuers; “there seems to be a powerful lot of ye.” “Nigh upon ten thousand,” said one of the young men; “we are the persecuted children of God—the chosen of the angel Merona.” “I never heard tell on him,"-said -the wanderer. “He appears to have chosen a fair crowd of ye.” “Do not jest at that which is sacred,” said the other, sternly. “We are of those who believe in those sacred writings, drawn in Egyptian letters on plates of beaten gold, which were handed unto the holy Joseph Smith, at Palmyra. We have come from Nauvoo, in the State of Illinois, where we had founded our ten.pie. We havecome to seek a refuge from the violent man and from the godless, even though it be in the heart of the desert.” The name of Nauvoo evidently recalled recollections to John Ferrier. “I see,” he said; you are the Mormons." “We are the Mormons,” answered his companions with one voice.” “And where are you going?”

broad valley of Utah bathed in the sunlight beneath them,, and learned from the lips of their leader that this was the promised land, and that these virgin acres were to be theirs forevermore. Young speedily proved himself to be a skillful administrator as well as a resolute chief. Maps were drawn and charts prepared, in which the future city was sketched out. All around farms were apportioned and allotted in proportion to the standing of each individual. The tradesman was put to his trade and the artisan toJiis calling. In the town streets and squares sprang up as if by magic. In the country there was draining and hedging, planting and clearing, until the next summer saw the whole country golden with the wheat crop. Everything prospered in the strange settlement. Above all, the great temple which they had erected in the center of the city grew ever taller and larger. Prom the first blush of dawn until the closing of the twilight, the clatter of the hammer and the rasp of the sa wwere never absent from the monument which the emigrants erected to Him who had led them safe through many dangers. The two castaways, John Perrier and the little girl who had shared his fortunes and had been adopted as his daughter, accompanied the Mormons to the end of their great pilgrimage. Little Lucy Ferrier was borne along pleasantly enough in Elder Stangerson’s wagon, a retreat which she shared with the Mormon’s three wives and with his son, a headstrong, forward boy of twelve.

“We do not know. The hand of God is leading us under the person of the prophet. You must come before him. He shall say what is to be done with you.” They had reached the base of the hill by this time and were surrounded bv crowds of the pilgrims—palefaced. meek-looking women, strong, laughing children, and anxious, earnest-eyed men. Many were the cries of astonishment and commiseration which arose from them when they perceived the youth of the one and the destitution of the other. Their escort did not halt, however, but pushed on, followed by a great crowd of Mormons,until they reached a wagon which was conspicuous for its great size and for the gaudiness and smartness of its appearance. Six horses were voked to it, whereas the others were furnished with two, or, at most, four apiece. Beside the driver there sat a man who could not have been more than thirty years of age, but whose massive head and resolute expression marked him as a leader, He was reading a brownbacked, volume, but as the great crowd approached he laid it aside and listened attentively to an account of . the episode. Then he turned to the two castaways. '“lf we take you with us,” he said, ! In solemn words, “it can only be as believers in our creed. We shall have no wolves in our fold. Better far , that your bones should bleach in this ; wilderness than that you should prove to be that little speck of decay which in time corrupts the whole fruit. Will you came with us on these terms.” “Guess I'll come with you on any terms,” said Ferrier with such emphasis that the ,grave elders could not restrain*as mile. The leader alone retained his stern, impressive expression. “Take him. Brother Stangerson,” he said, “give him food and drink, and the child likewise. Let it be your task also to teach him our holy creed. We have delayed long enough. Forward! On, on to Zion!” “On, on to Ziou! cried the crowd of Mormons, and the words rippled down the long caravan, passing from mouth to mouth until they died away in a dull murmur in the far distance. With cracking of whips and a creaking of wheels the great wagon got into motion and soon the whole caravan was winding along once more. The elder to whose care the two waifs had been committed led them to his wagon, where a meal was already awaiting them. “You shall remain here,” he said. “In a few days you will have recovered ffom vour fatigues. In the meantime, remember now and forever you are of our religion. Brigham Young has said it. and he has spoken with the voice of Joseph Smith, which is the voice of God." CHAPTER IT. THE FLOWER OF UTAII. This is not the place to commemorate the trials and privations endured bv the emigrant Mormons before they came to their final haven. Frois the shores of the Mississippi to the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains they bad struggled on with a constancy almost unparalleled in history. The savage man and the savage beast, hunger, thirst, fatigue and disease every impediment which Nature could place in the way bad all been overcome with AngloSaxon tenacity. *Yet the long journey and tbe the accumulated terrors bad shaken the hearts of the stoutest among them. There-«was not one Who did not sink upon his knees in heartfelt prayer when they saw the

Having rallied with the elasticity of childhood, from the shock caused by her mother’s death, she soon became a pet with the women, and reconciled herself to this new life in her moving canvas-covered home. In the meantime, Ferrier, having recovered from his privations, distinguished himself as a useful guide and an indefatigable hunter. So rapidly did he gain the esteem of his companions, that when they reached the end of their wanderings, it was unanimously agreed that he should be provided with as large and as fertile a tract of land as any of the settlers, with the exception of Young himself, and of Stangerson,Kim ball, Johnston, and Drebber, who were the four principal elders. On the farm thus acquired John Ferrier built himself a substantial log-house, which received so many additions in succeeding years that it grew into a roomy villa. He was a man of a practical turn of mind, keen in his dealing, and skillful with his hands. His iron constitution enabled him to work morning and evening at improving and tilling his lands. Hence it came about that his farm and all that belonged to him prospered exceedingly. In three years he was better off than his neighbors, in six he was well to do, in nine he was rich, and in twelve there was not half a dozen men in the whole of Salt Lake City who could compare with him. From the great inland sea to the distant Wasatch Mountains there was no name better known than that of John Ferrier. There was one way, and only one, in which he offended the susceptibilities of his co-religionists. No argument or persuasion could ever induce him to set up a female establishment after the manner of his companions. He never gave reasons for this persistent refusal, but contented himself by resolutely and inflexibly adhering to his determination. There were some who accused him of lukewarmness in his adopted religion, and others who put it down to greed of wealth and reluctance to incur expense. Others, again, spoke of some early love , affair, and of a fair-haired girl vfho had pined away on the shores of Whatever the reason, Ferrier remained strictly In every other respect he conformed to the religion of the young 'settlement, and gained the name of being an orthodox and straight-walking man, Lufcy Ferrier grew up within the log-house, and assisted her adopted father in all his undertakings. The keen air of the mountains and the balsamic odor of the pine trees took the place of nurse and mother to the young girl. As year succeeded to year she grew taller and stronger, her cheek more ruddy, and her step more elastic. Many a wayfarer upon the high-road which ran by Furrier’s farm felt long-forgotten thoughts revive in his mind as he watched her little girlish figure tripping through the wheat fields, or met her mounted upon her father’s mustang, andmanagingitfwith all the ease and grace of a t|*Uo child of the West. So the bud blossomed into a flower, and the year Which saw her father the richest of tb* farmers left her as fair a speewnea of American girlhood as could be found iu the whole Pacific slope. It was not the father, however, who first discovered that the child had developed into the woman. It seldom is in such cases." That mysterious change is too subtle and too gradual to be measured by dates. Least of all does the maiden herself know it until the tone of the voice or the touch of a hand seta her heart

thrilling within her. There are few who can not recall that day and remember the one little incident which heralded the dawn of new life. In the case Of Lucy Perrier the occasion was serious enough in itself, apart from its future influence on her destiny and that of many besides. It was a warm June morning, and the Latter Day Saints were as busy as the bees whose hive they have chosen for their emblem. In the fields and in the streets rose the same hum of human industry. Down the dusty high roads defiled long streams of heavily laden mules, all heading to the West, for the gold fever had broken out in California, and the overland route lav through tbe City of the Elect. There, too, were droves of sheep and bullocks coming in from' the outlying pasture lands, and trains of tired immigrants, men and horses equally weary of their interminable journey. Through all this motely assemblage, threading her way with the skill of an accomplished rider,there galloped Lucy Perrier, her fair—face flushed with the exercise and her long chestnut hair floating out behind her. She had a commission from her father in the city, and was dashing in as she had done many a time before, with all the fearlessness of youth, thinking only of her task and how it was to be performed. The travel - stained adventurers gazed after her in astonishment,; and even the unemotional Indians, journeying in with their peltry, relaxed their accustomed‘stoicism as they marveled at -the beauty of the pale-faced maiden. She had reached the outskirts of the city when she found the road blocked by a great drove of cattle, driven by a half-dozen wild-looking herdsmen from the plains. In her impatience she endeavored to pass this obstacle by pushing her horse into what appeared to be a gap. • Scarcely had she got fairly into it, however, before the beasts closed in behind her, and she found herself completely imbedded in the moving stream of fierce-eyed, song-horned bullocks. Accustomed as she was to deal with cattle, she was not alarmed at her situation, but took advantage of every opportunity to urge her horse on in the hope of pushing her way through the cavalcade. Unfortunately the horns of one of the creatures, either by accident or de - sign, 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 skillful 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 a sinewy brown hand caught the frightened horse by the curb, and, forcirig a way through the drove, soon brought her to the outskirts. “You’re not hurt. I hope, miss,” said her preserver, respectfully. She looked at his dark, fierce facer and laughed saucily. “I’m awful frightened,” she said, naively; “whoever would have thought that Poncho would have been so scared by a lot of cows?” “Thank God you kept your seat,” the other sakL 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 shoulder. “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 Perrier, 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 dd 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. Ts those cattle had jumped on me, heM never have got over it.” “Neither would I,” said her companion. “You? Well, I don’t see that it would make difference to you, any - how. 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-by.” —« “Good-by,” he answered, raising his broad sombrero, and bending over the little hand. She wheeled her mustang round, gave it a cut with her riding-whip, and darted, away down the broad road in a rolling cloud of dust. Young Jefferson Hope rode on with his companion, kgloomy and taciturn. He and they had been among the Nevada Monntains prospecting for silyer, and were returning toiSalt 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 bis 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 h»d sprung up in his heart was not a sudden, changeable fancy of a boy, but rather the wild, fierce pasion of a man of strong will andlmperious temper. He had been accustomed to suceed in all that he undertook. He swore in his heart 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 farmhouse. John, cooped up in the valley,and absorbed in his work, 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 tier 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 bad, Jefferson Hope had been there in search of them. He soon became a favorite 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 hot 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 door-way, 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 1 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. (to BE CONTINUED.i