Этюд в багровых тонах
John Ferrier talks with the Prophet.
Tothisday,inthelonelyranchesoftheWest,thenameoftheDaniteBand,ortheAvengingAngels,isasinisterandanill-omenedone.
Fullerknowledgeoftheorganizationwhichproducedsuchterribleresultsservedtoincreaseratherthantolessenthehorrorwhichitinspiredinthemindsofmen. Noneknewwhobelongedtothisruthlesssociety. Thenamesoftheparticipatorsinthedeedsofbloodandviolencedoneunderthenameofreligionwerekeptprofoundlysecret. TheveryfriendtowhomyoucommunicatedyourmisgivingsastotheProphetandhismission,mightbeoneofthosewhowouldcomeforthatnightwithfireandswordtoexactaterriblereparation. Henceeverymanfearedhisneighbour,andnonespokeofthethingswhichwerenearesthisheart.
Onefinemorning,JohnFerrierwasabouttosetouttohiswheatfields,whenheheardtheclickofthelatch,and,lookingthroughthewindow,sawastout,sandy-haired,middle-agedmancomingupthepathway. Hisheartleapttohismouth,forthiswasnoneotherthanthegreatBrighamYounghimself. Fulloftrepidation—forheknewthatsuchavisitbodedhimlittlegood—FerrierrantothedoortogreettheMormonchief. Thelatter,however,receivedhissalutationscoldly,andfollowedhimwithasternfaceintothesitting-room.
“BrotherFerrier,”hesaid,takingaseat,andeyeingthefarmerkeenlyfromunderhislight-colouredeyelashes,“thetruebelievershavebeengoodfriendstoyou.
