Этюд в багровых тонах
The Avenging Angels.
ThetwoyoungMormonswerenotlongindiscoveringthereasonoftheseattemptsupontheirlives,andledrepeatedexpeditionsintothemountainsinthehopeofcapturingorkillingtheirenemy,butalwayswithoutsuccess. Thentheyadoptedtheprecautionofnevergoingoutaloneorafternightfall,andofhavingtheirhousesguarded. Afteratimetheywereabletorelaxthesemeasures,fornothingwaseitherheardorseenoftheiropponent,andtheyhopedthattimehadcooledhisvindictiveness.
Farfromdoingso,ithad,ifanything,augmentedit. Thehunter’smindwasofahard,unyieldingnature,andthepredominantideaofrevengehadtakensuchcompletepossessionofitthattherewasnoroomforanyotheremotion. Hewas,however,aboveallthingspractical. Hesoonrealizedthatevenhisironconstitutioncouldnotstandtheincessantstrainwhichhewasputtinguponit. Exposureandwantofwholesomefoodwerewearinghimout. Ifhediedlikeadogamongthemountains,whatwastobecomeofhisrevengethen? Andyetsuchadeathwassuretoovertakehimifhepersisted. Hefeltthatthatwastoplayhisenemy’sgame,sohereluctantlyreturnedtotheoldNevadamines,theretorecruithishealthandtoamassmoneyenoughtoallowhimtopursuehisobjectwithoutprivation.
Hisintentionhadbeentobeabsentayearatthemost,butacombinationofunforeseencircumstancespreventedhisleavingtheminesfornearlyfive.
