Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 November 1894 — A STUDY IN SCARLET. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A STUDY IN SCARLET.

BY A. CONAN DOYLE.

PART 11. Biaxial from the reminiscences of Jons H. Watson, M. D., late of the Army Medica Department.] ■ , CHAPTER IV--Continued.

Thus day followed day; and assure as Morning came he found that his unseen enemies had kept their register, and had marked up in some conspicuous position how many days were still left to him out of the month of grace. Sometimes the fatal numbers appeared upon the walls, sometimes upon the floors; occasionally they were on small placards stuck upon the garden-gate or the railings. With all his vigilance John Ferrier could not discover whence these daily warnings proceeded. A horror, which was almost superstitious, came over him at the sight of them. He became haggard and restless, and his eyes had the troubled look of some haunted creature. He had but one hope in life now, and that was for the arrival of the young hunter from Nevada.

“You’re a man to be proud of,” he said. “There are not many who would come to share our danger and our troubles.” “You’ve hit it there, Pard,” the young hunter answered. “I have a respect for you, but if you were alone in this business I’d think twice before I’d put my head into such a hornet’s nest. It’s Lucy that brings me here, and before harm comes on her 1 guess there will be one less o’ the Hope family in Utah." “What are we to do?” “To-morrow is your last day, and unless you act to-night you are lost. I have a mule and two horses waiting in the Eagle Ravine. How much money have you?” _ “Two thousand dollars in gold and five in notes.” “That will do. I have as much more to add to it. We must push for Carson City through the mountains. You had best wake Lucy. Jt is as well that the servants do not sleep in the house.”

Twenty had changed to fifteen, and fifteen to ten; but there was no news of the absentee. One by one the lumbers dwindled down, and still there came no sign of him. Whenever a horseman clattered down the road or a driver shouted at his team, the old farmer hurried to the gate, thinking that help had arrived at last. At last when he saw five give way to four, and that again to three, he lost -heart, and abandpned all hope of escape. Singlehanded, and with his limited knowledge of the mountains which surrounded the settlement, he knew that he was powerless. The mere frequented roads were strictly watched and guarded, and none could pass along them without an order from the council. Turn which way he would, there appeared to be no avoiding the blow which hung over him. Yet the old man never wavered in his resolution to part with life itself before he consented to what he regarded as his daughter’s dishonor. Hp was sitting alone one evening pondering deeply over his troubles, and searching vainly for some way out of them. That morning had shown him the figure 2 upon the wall of fails house, and the next day would be the last of the alloted time. What was to happen then? All manner of vague and terrible fancies filled his imagination. And his daughter—what was to become of her after he was gone? Was there no escape from the invisible net- work which was drawn all round them? He sunk his head upon the table and sobbed at the thought of his own impotence.

While Ferrier was absent preparing his daughter for the approaching journey, Jefferson Hope packed all the eatables that he could find into a small parcel, and filled a stoneware jar with water, for he knew by experience that the mountain wells were few and far between. He had hardly completed his arrangements before the farmer returned with his daughter all dressed and ready for the start. The greeting between the lovers was warm but brief, for min utes were precious and there was much to be done. “We must make our start at once,” said Jefferson Hope, speaking in a low but resolute voice, like one who realizes the greatness of the peril, but has steeled his heart to meet it. “The front and back entrances are watched, but with caution we may get away through the side window and across the fields. Once on the road, we are only two miles from the ravine where the horses are waiting. By daybreak we should be halfway through the mountains.” “What if we are stopped?” asked Ferrier. - _ Hope slapped the revolver butt which protruded from the front of his tunic. “If they are too many for us we shall take two or three of them with us,” he said, with a sinister smile. The lights inside the house had all been extinguished, and from the darkened window Ferrier peered over the fields which had been his own, and which he was now about to abandon forever. He had long nerved himself to the sacrifice, however, and the thought of the honor and happihess of his daughter outweighed any regret at his ruined fortunes! All looked so happy and peaceful, the rustling trees and the broad, silent stretch of grain land, that it was difficult to realize that the spirit of murder lurked through it all. Yet the white face and set expression of the young hunter showed that in his approach to the house he had seen enough to Satisfy him upon that head.

jw What was that? In the silence he 'nad heard a gentle scratching sound —low, but very distinct,in the quiet of the night. It came from the door of the house. Ferrier crept into the hall and listened intently. There was a pause for a few moments, and then the low, insidious sound was repeated. Some one was evidently tapping gently on one of the panels of the door. Was it some midnight assassin who had come to carry out the murderous order of the secret tribunal? Or was it some agent who was marking up that the last day of grace had arrived. John Ferrier felt that instam death would be better than the suspense which shook his nerves and chilled his heart. Springing forward, he drew the bolt and threw the door open. Outside all was calm and quiet. The night was fine, and the stars were twinkling brightly overhead. The little front garden lay before the farmer’s eyes, bounded by the fence and gate; but neither there no.r on the road was any human being to be seen. With a sigh of relief Ferrier looked to right and to the left until happening to glance straight down at his feet he saw, to his astonishment, a man lying flat upon his face upon the ground, with his arms and legs all asprawl. So unnerved was he at the sight that he leaned up against the wall with his hand to his throat to stifle his inclination to call out. His first thought was that the prostrate figure was that of some wounded or dying man, but as he watched it he saw it writhe along the ground and into the hull with the rapidity and noiselessness of a serpent. Once within house the man sprung to his feet, closed the door, and revealed to the astonished farmer the fierce face and resolute expression of Jefferson Hope. “Good God!”gasped John Ferrier. “How you scared me! What ever made you come in like that?” ‘‘Give me food,” the other said, hoarsely. “I have had no time for bite or sup for eight and forty hours.” He flung himself upon the cold meat and. bread which' were still lying upon the table from his host's supper, and devoured them voraciously. “Does Lucy bear up well?” he asked, when he had satisfied his hunger. “Yes. She does not know the danger,” her father answered. “That is well. The house is watched on every side. That is why I crawled my way up to it. They may be darned sharp, but they’re not quite sharp enough to catch a Wash oe hunter." n John Ferrier felt a different man now that he realized that he had a devoted ally. He seized the young mae's leathery hand and wrung it cordially.

Ferrier carried the bag of gold and notes, Jefferson Hope had the scanty provisions and water, while Lucy had a small bundle containing a few of her more valued possessions. Opening the window very slowly and carefully, they waited until a dark cloud had somewhat obscured the night, and then one by one passfed through into the little garden. With bated breath and crouching figures they stumbled across it and gained the shelter of the hedge, which they skirted until they came to the gap which opened into the cornfield. They had just r reached this point when the young man seized his two companions and dragged them down into the shadow, where they lay silent and trembling. It was well that his prairie training had given Jefferson Hope the ears of a lynx. He and his friends had hardly crouched down when the melancholy hooting of a mountain owl was heard within a few yards of them, which was immediately answered by another hoot at a small distance. At the same moment a vague, shadowy figure emerged from the gap for which they had been making, and uttered the plaintive signal cry again, on which a second shadowy figure appeared out of the obscurity. “To-morrow at midnight,” said the first, who appeared to be in authority. “When the whip-poor-will calls three times.” “It is well,” returned the other. “Shall I tell Brother Drebber?” “Pass it on to him and from him to the others. Nine to seven!” “Seven to five!” repeated the other, and the two figures flitted away in different directions. Their concluding words had evidently been some form of sign and countersign. The instant their footsteps died in the distance, Jefferson Hope sprang to his feet, and, helping his companions through the gap, led the way across the fields at full speed, supporting ' and half carrying the girl when her strength appeared to fail her. “Hurry on! hurry onl" he gasped from time to time. “We are through the line of sentinels. Everything depends on speed* Hurry onl” Once on the high road they made

rapid progress. Once only did they meet any one, and then they managed to slip into a field and so avoid recognition. Before reaching the town the hunter branched away into a rugged and narrow footpath which led to the mountains. Two dark, jagged peaks loomed above them through the darkness, and the defile which led between them was the Eagle Ravine, in which the horses were awaiting them. With unerring instinct, Jefferson Hope picked his way among the great bowlders and along the bed of the dried up water course until he came to the retired corner, screened with rocks, where the faithful animals had been picketed. The girl was placed upon the mule, and old Ferrier upon one of the horses, with his money bag, while Jefferson Hope led the other along the precipitous and dangerous paths. It was a bewildering route to any one who was not accustomed to face Nature in her wildest moods. On the one side a great crag towered up a thousand feet or more, black, stern, and menacing, with long basaltic columns upon his rugged surface like the ribs of some petrified monster. On the other hand a wild chaos of bowlders and debris made all advance impossible. Between the two ran the irregular track, so narrow in places that they had to travel Indian file, and so rough that only practiced.riders could have traversed it at all. Yet, in spite of all dangers and difficulties, the hearts of the fugitives were light within them, for every step increased the distance between them and the terrible despotism from which they were flying. They soon had proof, however, that they were still within the jurisdiction of the Saints. They had reached the very wildest and most desolate portion of the pass, when the girl gave a startled cry and pointed upward. On a rock which overlooked the track, showing out dark and plain against the sky, there stood a solitary sentinel. He saw them as soon as they perceived him, and his military challenge of “Who goes there?” rang through the srilent ravine. “Travelers for Nevada,” said Jefferson Hope, with bis hand upon the rifle which hung by his saddle. They could see the lonely watcher fingering his gun, and peering down at them as if dissatisfied at their repiy- , “By whose permission?’ r Ee asked. “The Holy Four," answered Ferrier. His Mormon experiences had taught him that that was the highest authority to which he could refer. “Nine to seven,” cried the sentinel. “Seven to five,” returned Jefferson Hope, promptly, remembering the countersign which he had heard in the garden. “Pass, and the Lord go with you,” said the voice from above. Beyond this post the path broadened out, and the horses were able to break into a trot. Looking back, they could see the solitary watcher leaning upon his gun, and knew that they had passed the outlying post of the Chosen People, freedom lav before them.

CHAPTER V. THE AVENGING ANGELS. All night their course lay through intricate defiles and over irregular and rock-strewn paths. More than once they lost their way; but Hope’s intimate knowledge of the mountains enabled them to regain the track once more. When morning broke, a scene of marvelous though savage beauty lay before them. In every direction the great snow-capped peaks hemmed them in, peeping over one another’s shoulders t’o the far horizon. So steep were the rocky banks on either side of them that the larch and the pine seemed to be suspended over their heads, and to need only a gust of wind to come hurtling down upon them. Nor was the fear entirely an illusion, for the barren valley was thickly strewn with trees and bowlders which had fallen in a similar manner. Even as they passed, a great rock came thundering down with a hoarse rattle which woke the echoes in the silent gorges, and startled the weary horses into a gallop. As the sun rose slowly above the eastern horizon, the caps of the great mountains lighted up one after the other, like lamps at a festival, until they were all ruddy and glowing. The magnificent spectacle cheered the hearts of the three fugitives and gave them fresh energy. At a wild torrent which swept out of a ravine they called a halt and watered thei r horses, while they partook of a hasty breakfast. Lucy and her father would fain have rested longer, but Jefferson Hope was inexorable. “They will be upon our track by this time,” he said. “Everything depends upon our speed. Once safe in Carson, we may rest for the remainder of our lives.” During the whole of that day they were over thirty miles from their enemies. At nighttime they chose the base of a beetling crag, where the rocks offered some protection from the chill wind, and there, huddled together for warmth, they enjoyed a few hours’ sleep. Before daybreak, however, they were up and on their way once more. They had seen no signs of any pursuers, and Jefferson Hope began to think that they were fairly out of reach of the terrible organization whose enmity they had incurred. He little knew how far that iron grasp could reach, or how soon it was to close upon them and crush them. ▲bout the middle of the second

day of their flight their scanty ston of provisions began to run out. Thh gave the hunter little uneasiness, however, for there was game to be had among the mountains, and he had frequently before had to depend upon his rifle for the needs of life. Choosing a sheltered nook, he piled together a few dry branches and made a blazing fire, at which his companions might warm themselves, for they were now nearly five thousand feet above the sea level, and the air was bitter and keen. Having tethered the hersfes and bid Lucy adieu, he threw his gun over his shoulder, and set out in search ol whatever chance might throw in his way. Looking back, he saw the old man and-the young girl crouching over the blazing fire, while the three animals stood motionless in the background. Then the intervening rocks hid them from his view. He walked for a couple of miles through one ravine after,, another without success, though from the marks upon the bark of the trees, and other indications, he judged that there were numerous bears in the vicinity. At last, after two or three hours’ fruitless search, he was thinking of turning back in despair, when casting his eyes upward he saw a sight which sent a thrill of pleasure through his heart. On the edge ol a jutting pinnacle, three or four hundred feet above him, there stood a creature somewhat resembling a sheep in appearance, but armed -with a pair of gigantic horns. The big-horn—for so it is called —was acting, probably, as a guardian over a flock which were invisible to the hunter; but fortunately it was heading in the opposite direction, and had not perceived him. Lying on his back, he rested his rifle upon a rock, and took a long and steady aim before drawing the trigger. The animal sprung into the air, tottered for a moment upon the edge of the precipice, and then came crashing down into the valley beneath. The creatore was too unwieldy to lift, so the hunter consented himself with cutting away one haunch., and part of the flank. With this trophy over his shoulder, he hastened to retrace his steps, for the evening was already drawing in. He had hardly started, however,* before he realized the difficulty which faced him. In his eagerness he had wandered far past the ravines which were known to him, and it was no easy matter to pick out the path which he had taken. The valley in which he found himself divided and subdivided into many gorges, which were so like one another that it was impossible to distinguish one from the other. He followed one for a mile or more until he came to a mountain torrent which he was sure he had never seen before. Convinced that he had taken the wrong turn;he tried another, but with the same result. Night was coming on rapidly, and it was almost dark before he at last found himself in a defile which was familiar to him. Even then it was no easy matter to keep to the right track, for the moon had not yet risen, and the high cliffs on either side made the obscurity more profound. Weighed down with his burden, and weary from his exertions, he stumbled along, keeping up bis heart by the reflection that every step brought him nearer to Lucy, and that he carried with him enough to insure them food for the remainder of the journey. (to be continue d.)

(From a Photograph Taken on the Day of His Wedding.)

GEN. CASSIUS MARCELLUS CLAY.

WHITE HALL, THE HOME OF GEN. CLAY.