Этюд в багровых тонах
A Flight for Life.
“Youshallsmartforthis!”Stangersoncried,whitewithrage. “YouhavedefiedtheProphetandtheCouncilofFour.Youshallrueittotheendofyourdays.”
“ThehandoftheLordshallbeheavyuponyou,”criedyoungDrebber; “Hewillariseandsmiteyou!”
“ThenI’llstartthesmiting,”exclaimedFerrierfuriously,andwouldhaverushedupstairsforhisgunhadnotLucyseizedhimbythearmandrestrainedhim. Beforehecouldescapefromher,theclatterofhorses’hoofstoldhimthattheywerebeyondhisreach.
“Theyoungcantingrascals!”heexclaimed,wipingtheperspirationfromhisforehead;“Iwouldsoonerseeyouinyourgrave,mygirl,thanthewifeofeitherofthem.”
“AndsoshouldI,father,”sheanswered,withspirit;“butJeffersonwillsoonbehere.”
“Yes.Itwillnotbelongbeforehecomes. Thesoonerthebetter,forwedonotknowwhattheirnextmovemaybe.”
Itwas,indeed,hightimethatsomeonecapableofgivingadviceandhelpshouldcometotheaidofthesturdyoldfarmerandhisadopteddaughter. InthewholehistoryofthesettlementtherehadneverbeensuchacaseofrankdisobediencetotheauthorityoftheElders. Ifminorerrorswerepunishedsosternly,whatwouldbethefateofthisarchrebel. Ferrierknewthathiswealthandpositionwouldbeofnoavailtohim. Othersaswellknownandasrichashimselfhadbeenspiritedawaybeforenow,andtheirgoodsgivenovertotheChurch. Hewasabraveman,buthetrembledatthevague,shadowyterrorswhichhungoverhim.
