Этюд в багровых тонах
A Flight for Life.
Ontheotherhandawildchaosofbouldersanddebrismadealladvanceimpossible. Betweenthetworantheirregulartrack,sonarrowinplacesthattheyhadtotravelinIndianfile,andsoroughthatonlypractisedriderscouldhavetraverseditatall. Yetinspiteofalldangersanddifficulties,theheartsofthefugitiveswerelightwithinthem,foreverystepincreasedthedistancebetweenthemandtheterribledespotismfromwhichtheywereflying.
Theysoonhadaproof,however,thattheywerestillwithinthejurisdictionoftheSaints. Theyhadreachedtheverywildestandmostdesolateportionofthepasswhenthegirlgaveastartledcry,andpointedupwards. Onarockwhichoverlookedthetrack,showingoutdarkandplainagainstthesky,therestoodasolitarysentinel. Hesawthemassoonastheyperceivedhim,andhismilitarychallengeof“Whogoesthere? ”rangthroughthesilentravine.
“TravellersforNevada,”saidJeffersonHope,withhishandupontheriflewhichhungbyhissaddle.
Theycouldseethelonelywatcherfingeringhisgun,andpeeringdownatthemasifdissatisfiedattheirreply.
“Bywhosepermission?”heasked.
“TheHolyFour,”answeredFerrier. HisMormonexperienceshadtaughthimthatthatwasthehighestauthoritytowhichhecouldrefer.
“Ninefromseven,”criedthesentinel.
“Sevenfromfive,”returnedJeffersonHopepromptly,rememberingthecountersignwhichhehadheardinthegarden.
“Pass,andtheLordgowithyou,”saidthevoicefromabove
