One summer evening, Hope rode his horse galloping down the avenue and came running towards Ferrell's house. Lucy was at the door, and she went forward to meet him. He threw the reins over the fence, and strode along the path in front of the door.
"I'm going, Lucy," he said, taking both her hands in his, and looking tenderly into her face: "I don't ask you to go with me now, but when I come back Now, can you decide to stay with me?"
"But when are you coming back?" She asked with a shy smile.
"Two months at most, dear. At that time, you will belong to me, and no one will be able to separate us."
"But what is father's opinion?" she asked.
"He has agreed, don't worry about it."
"Oh, that's all right. As long as you and Father have everything sorted out, there's nothing more to say," she said softly, resting her cheek on his broad chest.
"Thank God!" Hope's voice was a little hoarse, and he bent down to kiss her. "Then it's settled. The longer I stay, the more I'll be with you. My boys are still in the canyon." Wait for me. Good-bye, my dear, good-bye! You will see me in two months."
He broke free from her arms, got on his horse, and galloped away without looking back, as if his determination would be shaken if he looked back at the parting person for a moment.
She stood by the door and looked at him for a long time, until he disappeared, and then she went into the house, and she felt that she was the happiest girl in all Utah.
…
Three weeks have passed, and every time John Ferrell thinks that he will lose his adoptive daughter when this young man comes back, he can't help but feel a lot of regret and regret, but seeing Lucy's bright and happy face , he felt that this was more important than anything else.
Of course, there is another unknown reason driving him to do this, John Ferrell, he will never let his daughter marry any local Mormons! In his opinion, this kind of marriage is not a marriage at all, it is simply a disgrace. Whatever his views on Mormon doctrine, he was unwavering on this issue. Therefore, he himself has not married yet.
But the catastrophe of extinction came to the door just before the last happiness came...
In that period, once the words against the teachings were heard, it meant that terrible disasters would follow! Even the Inquisition of Seville, the laws of apostasy of the Germans, and the vast operations of the Italian Secret Party were nothing compared with the net of the Mormons in Utah.
On the wild prairies of the West, the "Dannett Gang (a secret, sinister sect of Mormonism)" and the "Avenging Angels" thus arose, names that are still spoken of to this day.
These invisible organizations have carried out countless evil actions. They seem to be omniscient and omnipotent, but what they do seems to be neither seen nor heard.
People only know that whoever opposes the church will suddenly disappear, and no one will be alive or dead. A cloud will always hang over their heads. Even in the wilderness, no one dares to say a word dissenting voices...
At first, this mysterious and terrible force was only against the apostates. Soon, however, its functions were expanded. Because the supply of adult women has gradually become insufficient. Without enough women, the dogma of polygamy will be useless (polygamy is prevalent in Mormonism, and it was established by Brigham Young as one of the canons of the church. This system has always caused controversy inside the church, and it has also been debated outside the church. Aroused widespread dislike, and the canon was abolished in 1890). So all kinds of strange rumors began to appear. In places that the Indians had never been, immigrants were murdered on the way, and travelers' tents were robbed. At the same time, strange women appeared in the deep room of the Mormon elders. They were haggard, weeping, and there was an indelible fear on their faces...
Finally, the big man visited John Ferrell in person, and he made a request: "Your daughter has grown up and can be called a flower in our Utah place. Many people with status here have taken a fancy to her." she."
John Ferrell could only groan in his heart, but Brigham Young didn't finish his sentence: "There are rumors outside that she is already engaged to a pagan passing by here! I hope this is just a rumor, You know, Article 13 of St. Joseph Smith's canon says 'Let every maiden of the Mormons marry a man of God; if she marries a heathen, she commits a heinous sin' ! Yes, that’s what it says in the scriptures, since you believe in the sacred doctrine, you shouldn’t allow your daughter to destroy it.”
John Ferrell didn't answer, just playing with the whip in his hand.
Yang continued: "On this issue, I think you can test all your sincerity. The Four Saints have already decided this way. This girl is still young, we will not let her marry an old man, and of course we will not marry her." Maybe let her choose. Those of us who are elders already have many 'heifers' (the word, H. C. Kemble, one of the Mormon leaders, mentioned his hundred A wife's word). But our children still have needs. Stangerson has a son, and Drebber has another, and they are more than happy to take your daughter into their family. Let your daughter be in these two Choose one of those who are young and rich, and both of our Orthodoxy. Have you anything to say about the matter?"
John Ferrell could only use delaying tactics. He said that his daughter was too young to be married, but the big man just said coldly: "I will give her a month to choose."
When Brigham Young left, John Ferrell almost collapsed on the chair, he didn't know how to tell his daughter the news. Suddenly, a soft little hand held his hand. He looked up and saw his daughter standing beside him, her face was pale and frightened. He understood that she had heard it all.
…
John Ferrell is still the upright and brave explorer back then. He is an unyielding person, but the years are ruthless. He knows that he has no ability to fight against the huge forces lurking in the dark.
The day after Jan's departure there were little Drebber, a sullen young man, and little Stangerson, and young Dreb, a big, ugly, haughty boy, at the door. They sat in the living room with their feet raised as if they were at home.
Stangerson said: "We have come to propose to your daughter under the instruction of our father. Please take a look at your daughter. Among the two of us, who do you fancy? For me, there are only four of us." Wife, but there are seven of the Dreb brothers. So, I see, my need is greater than his."
cried Drebber: "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."
They say a lot more, but it serves no purpose other than to make their morals seem more sordid. John Ferrell whipped them out, the only way he could vent his anger.
The next morning, when Ferrell woke up, he saw that his quilt had a piece of paper nailed to his chest, and there was a line of thick words written crookedly on it: "You are limited to twenty-nine days Correct the evil and return to the right, when the time comes—"
He didn't know how that terrible force entered his house, and he didn't even know what the unfinished threat meant. He only knew that he was driven to a dead end.
Since then, every day there will be a figure appearing in the house, sometimes on the ceiling, sometimes on the door panel, sometimes on the garden gate or on the railing. The shadow of horror is getting deeper and deeper, constantly destroying the old man and his daughter body and mind.
Finally, on the day when the number "2" appeared, Ferrell collapsed. That night, he sat alone in the house. Over the past month, he had exchanged almost all the properties that could be sold for jewelry that he could carry with him. , has already packed everything and is ready to take her daughter to escape at any time.
But he really couldn't figure out how to leave under this heavy siege...
In the silence, he heard a slight sound of scratching. Ferrell held his breath and rushed up with a shotgun. Unexpectedly, when he opened the door, he saw a mass of black objects rolling into the room quickly. Here, when he took a closer look, the person crawling on the ground was Jefferson Hope!
"My God!" John Ferrell exclaimed, "you frightened me. Why did you come in like this?"
"Give me something to eat." Hope said hoarsely, "I haven't had time to take a bite for two days and two nights." He grabbed the cold meat and bread on the table and gobbled it up: "How is Lucy? "
"Very well, she doesn't know the dangers," replied the father.
"That's good. The surroundings of this house have been watched by people. These people are very powerful, but they are still a little short of catching a hunter from Lake Washu." Hope explained why I climbed in by myself.
It turned out that on the second morning when the Prophet visited Ferrell, he went to Salt Lake City, where Ferrell found a friend who was planning to go to the Sierra Nevada, and gave him a letter addressed to Jefferson Hope , the letter stated the imminent danger and asked him to come back as soon as possible.
That night, their escape began, and this was their last chance to escape...
They ran away day and night, they passed through the rugged mountain road, over the towering mountains, advanced among the rocks, and walked through the narrow Eagle Canyon, but they did not dare to stop half a step, because they knew that every day One step forward is one step away from the tyranny they just escaped from.
The day after they fled, at about noon, their rations were almost exhausted. However, this did not bother Hou Bo. In the mountains, any bird or animal could satisfy the hunter's hunger. He chose a secluded place, gathered some dry sticks and lit a fire to keep his companions warm. They were now on a mountain five thousand feet above sea level, and the air was bone-chillingly cold.
He picked up his rifle and went out to try his luck and get some stuff. After tying up the mules and horses, he turned his head and saw the old man and the young girl were warming around the fire. He smiled in relief. It seemed that they had escaped the pursuit, and in a few days, they would be able to set foot on a free land.
Hope crossed mountains and ridges and walked for more than two miles, but he found nothing. As he went further and further away, he finally caught a wild animal. Because of the huge size of the carcass, he only cut off part of the meat and put it in his pocket. Return with a rewarding experience.
But just as Hou Bo was about to take a step, he found himself in a predicament. He had gone too far and lost his way...
The sky darkened, like a dark cloud shrouded Hou Bo's heart, but before the sky completely darkened, he finally found a familiar path, and finally regained the path. After a long busy day, he was exhausted physically and mentally, feeling tired Attack, but he still persisted, and went home.
When Hope came to the mouth of the familiar valley, an inexplicable feeling of fear welled up in his heart, it was almost an instinct, he rushed forward in a hurry, even throwing the animal meat he had killed on the ground.
Just where the fire was lit, Hope saw a mound of earth, his hair standing on end. A wooden stick was stuck in the mound, and a piece of paper was sandwiched between the cracks of the wooden stick. One word: "John Ferrell died August 4, 1860, living in Salt Lake City".
Less than half a day after he left, the strong old man died, and these words became his epitaph. Jefferson Hope looked around to see if there was a second grave, but there was none! It seems that Lucy has been taken back by these terrifying pursuers, to face her original doomed fate, to become the elder's son's concubine...
Hope did not give up, he was not a person who would give up by nature, he stoked the dying fire, retrieved his lost animal meat, roasted it and tied it into a bundle. Although he was extremely exhausted, he still followed the footsteps of these avenging angels, crossed the mountain, and followed the only trace step by step.
A few days later, he saw the city again. From the cliff, he looked at the farms and homes of the Mormons at his feet, and shook his fist angrily. At this time, Hou Bo was already in a state of emaciation and haggard.
He saw flags and other signs of the festival on some of the main streets, and was wondering why, when he saw a man riding towards him. Hope recognized him as a Mormon named Cobb, whom Hope had helped him, so he stopped Cobb: "I am Jefferson Hope. Do you remember me?"
Cobb looked at him with undisguised surprise: "Are you crazy! How dare you come here, if someone sees me talking to you, even my life will be lost, the Four Saints have given orders If you are wanted, you should run away quickly."
Hope said earnestly: "I'm not afraid of their arrest, Cobb, you must know the whole thing, we are friends, you must answer me truthfully, how is Miss Lucy Ferrier now?"
"She married Little Drew yesterday, stand firm, hey! You have to stand firm, why do you look out of your mind?"
"Leave me alone," said Hope feebly. His lips were all white, and he slumped to the ground: "You said you're married?"
"Married yesterday, and that's what the banners on the house are for. There's been an argument between Drebber and Stangerson about who should marry her, and they both went after the two fathers." Daughter, Stangerson also shot her father, so he had more reason to claim her. However, when they had a dispute at the Council of the Four Saints, because Drebber's faction was powerful, the Prophet sent Lucy was handed over to Drebber, but no matter who took possession of her, I don't think it will last long. When I saw her yesterday, she already had a dead expression on her face. She doesn't look like a woman at all, she's just a ghost .What? Are you leaving?"
"Yes, I'm going," said Jefferson Hope, rising to his feet. His face seemed to be carved from marble, stern and resolute, and his eyes gleamed fiercely.