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chapter 10 john ferrier talks with the prophet three weeks had passed since jefferson hope and his comrades had departed from salt lake city. john ferrier's heart was sore within him when he thought of the young man's return, and of the impending loss of his adopted child. yet her bright and happy face reconciled him to the arrangement more than any argument could have done. he had always determined, deep down in his resolute heart, that nothing would ever induce him to allow his daughter to wed a mormon. such a marriage he regarded as no marriage at all, but as a shame and a disgrace. whatever he might think of the mormon doctrines, upon that one point he was inflexible. he had to seal his mouth on the subject, however, for to express an unorthodox opinion was a dangerous matter in those days in the land of the saints. yes, a dangerous matter -- so dangerous that even the most saintly dared only whisper their religious opinions with bated breath, lest something which fell from their lips might be misconstrued, and bring down a swift retribution upon them. the victims of persecution had now turned persecutors on their own account, and persecutors of the most terrible description. not the inquisition of seville, nor the german vehm-gericht, nor the secret societies of italy, were ever able to put a more formidable machinery in motion than that which cast a cloud over the state of utah. its invisibility, and the mystery which was attached to it, made this organization doubly terrible. it appeared to be omniscient and omnipotent, and yet was neither seen nor heard. the man who held out against the church vanished away, and none knew whither he had gone or what had befallen him. his wife and his children awaited him at home, but no father ever returned to tell them how he had fared at the hands of his secret judges. a rash word or a hasty act was followed by annihilation, and yet none knew what the nature might be of this terrible power which was suspended over them. no wonder that men went about in fear and trembling, and that even in the heart of the wilderness they dared not whisper the doubts which oppressed them. at first this vague and terrible power was exercised only upon the recalcitrants who, having embraced the mormon faith, wished afterwards to pervert or to abandon it. soon, however, it took a wider range. the supply of adult women was running short, and polygamy without a female population on which to draw was a barren doctrine indeed. strange rumours began to be bandied about -- rumours of murdered immigrants and rifled camps in regions where indians had never been seen. fresh women appeared in the harems of the elders -- women who pined and wept, and bore upon their faces the traces of an unextinguishable horror. belated wanderers upon the mountains spoke of gangs of armed men, masked, stealthy, and noiseless, who flitted by them in the darkness. these tales and rumours took substance and shape, and were corroborated and re-corroborated, until they resolved themselves into a definite name. to this day, in the lonely ranches of the west, the name of the danite band, or the avenging angels, is a sinister and an ill-omened one. fuller knowledge of the organization which produced such terrible results served to increase rather than to lessen the horror which it inspired in the minds of men. none knew who belonged to this ruthless society. the names of the participators in the deeds of blood and violence done under the name of religion were kept profoundly secret. the very friend to whom you communicated your misgivings as to the prophet and his mission, might be one of those who would come forth at night with fire and sword to exact a terrible reparation. hence every man feared his neighbour, and none spoke of the things which were nearest his heart. one fine morning, john ferrier was about to set out to his wheatfields, when he heard the click of the latch, and, looking through the window, saw a stout, sandy-haired, middle-aged man coming up the pathway. his heart leapt to his mouth, for this was none other than the great brigham young himself. full of trepidation -- for he knew that such a visit boded him little good -- ferrier ran to the door to greet the mormon chief. the latter, however, received his salutations coldly, and followed him with a stern face into the sitting-room. "brother ferrier," he said, taking a seat, and eyeing the farmer keenly from under his light-coloured eyelashes, "the true believers have been good friends to you. we picked you up when you were starving in the desert, we shared our food with you, led you safe to the chosen valley, gave you a goodly share of land, and allowed you to wax rich under our protection. is not this so?" "it is so," answered john ferrier. "in return for all this we asked but one condition: that was, that you should embrace the true faith, and conform in every way to its usages. this you promised to do, and this, if common report says truly, you have neglected." "and how have i neglected it?" asked ferrier, throwing out his hands in expostulation. "have i not given to the common fund? have i not attended at the temple? have i not ----?" "where are your wives?" asked young, looking round him. "call them in, that i may greet them." "it is true that i have not married," ferrier answered. "but women were few, and there were many who had better claims than i. i was not a lonely man: i had my daughter to attend to my wants." "it is of that daughter that i would speak to you," said the leader of the mormons. "she has grown to be the flower of utah, and has found favour in the eyes of many who are high in the land." john ferrier groaned internally. "there are stories of her which i would fain disbelieve -- stories that she is sealed to some gentile. this must be the gossip of idle tongues. what is the thirteenth rule in the code of the sainted joseph smith? `let every maiden of the true faith marry one of the elect; for if she wed a gentile, she commits a grievous sin.' this being so, it is impossible that you, who profess the holy creed, should suffer your daughter to violate it." john ferrier made no answer, but he played nervously with his riding-whip. "upon this one point your whole faith shall be tested -- so it has been decided in the sacred council of four. the girl is young, and we would not have her wed grey hairs, neither would we deprive her of all choice. we elders have many heifers, * but our children must also be provided. stangerson has a son, and drebber has a son, and either of them would gladly welcome your daughter to their house. let her choose between them. they are young and rich, and of the true faith. what say you to that?" ferrier remained silent for some little time with his brows knitted. "you will give us time," he said at last. "my daughter is very young -- she is scarce of an age to marry." "she shall have a month to choose," said young, rising from his seat. "at the end of that time she shall give her answer." he was passing through the door, when he turned, with flushed face and flashing eyes. "it were better for you, john ferrier," he thundered, "that you and she were now lying blanched skeletons upon the sierra blanco, than that you should put your weak wills against the orders of the holy four!" with a threatening gesture of his hand, he turned from the door, and ferrier heard his heavy step scrunching along the shingly path. he was still sitting with his elbows upon his knees, considering how he should broach the matter to his daughter when a soft hand was laid upon his, and looking up, he saw her standing beside him. one glance at her pale, frightened face showed him that she had heard what had passed. "i could not help it," she said, in answer to his look. "his voice rang through the house. oh, father, father, what shall we do?" "don't you scare yourself," he answered, drawing her to him, and passing his broad, rough hand caressingly over her chestnut hair. "we'll fix it up somehow or another. you don't find your fancy kind o' lessening for this chap, do you?" a sob and a squeeze of his hand was her only answer. "no; of course not. i shouldn't care to hear you say you did. he's a likely lad, and he's a christian, which is more than these folk here, in spite o' all their praying and preaching. there's a party starting for nevada to-morrow, and i'll manage to send him a message letting him know the hole we are in. if i know anything o' that young man, he'll be back here with a speed that would whip electro-telegraphs." lucy laughed through her tears at her father's description. "when he comes, he will advise us for the best. but it is for you that i am frightened, dear. one hears -- one hears such dreadful stories about those who oppose the prophet: something terrible always happens to them." "but we haven't opposed him yet," her father answered. "it will be time to look out for squalls when we do. we have a clear month before us; at the end of that, i guess we had best shin out of utah." "leave utah!" "that's about the size of it." "but the farm?" "we will raise as much as we can in money, and let the rest go. to tell the truth, lucy, it isn't the first time i have thought of doing it. i don't care about knuckling under to any man, as these folk do to their darned prophet. i'm a free-born american, and it's all new to me. guess i'm too old to learn. if he comes browsing about this farm, he might chance to run up against a charge of buckshot travelling in the opposite direction." "but they won't let us leave," his daughter objected. "wait till jefferson comes, and we'll soon manage that. in the meantime, don't you fret yourself, my dearie, and don't get your eyes swelled up, else he'll be walking into me when he sees you. there's nothing to be afeared about, and there's no danger at all." john ferrier uttered these consoling remarks in a very confident tone, but she could not help observing that he paid unusual care to the fastening of the doors that night, and that he carefully cleaned and loaded the rusty old shotgun which hung upon the wall of his bedroom.
杰弗逊•侯波和他的伙伴们离开盐湖城已经有三个礼拜了。约翰•费瑞厄每当想到这个年轻人回来的时候，他就要失去他的义女，心中便感到非常痛苦。但是，女儿的那张明朗而又幸福的脸，比任何争论都更能说服他顺从这个安排。他心中早已暗暗决定，无论如何，他决不让他的女儿嫁给一个摩门教徒。他认为，这种婚姻根本不能算是婚姻，简直就是一种耻辱。不管他对于摩门教教义的看法究竟如何，但是在这一个问题上面，他却是坚定不移的。然而，他对于这个问题，却不能不守口如起，因为在摩门教的天下，发表违反教义的言论是十分危险的。 的确，这是十分危险的，而且危险到这种程度，就连教会中那些德高望重的圣者们，也只敢在暗地里偷偷地谈论他们对于教会的意见，唯恐一句话露出去就会马上招致横祸。过去被迫害的人，为了报复，现在一变而为迫害者，并且是变本加厉，极端残酷。塞维尔的宗教法庭、日尔曼人的叛教律以及意大利秘密党所拥有的那些庞大的行动组织等等，比之于摩门教徒在犹他州所布下的天罗地网，都是望尘莫及的。 这个无形的组织出没无常，再加上与它相关联的那些神秘活动，使得这个组织倍加可怖。这个组织似乎是无所不知、无所不能；但是，它的所作所为人们既看不见，也听不到。谁要是敢于反对教会，谁就会突然失踪。既没有人知道他的下落，也没有人知道他的遭遇。家中妻子儿女倚门而望，可是父亲却一去不返，再也不会回来向他们诉说他落在他的秘密审判者手中的遭遇。说话稍一不慎，行动偶失检点，立刻就会招来杀身之祸；而且谁也不知道笼罩在他们头上的这种可怕的势力究竟是什么。因此，人们个个惊慌，人人恐惧；即使是在旷野无人之处，也不敢对压其他们的这种势力暗地里表示疑义，这也就不足为破了。 最初，这种神秘莫测的可怕势力只是对付那些叛教之徒的。可是不久，它的范围就扩大了。这时，成年妇女的供应也已渐感不足。没有足够的妇女，一夫多起制的教条就要形同虚设。于是各种破怪的传闻到处传布：在印第安人从来没有到过的地方，移民中途被人谋杀，旅行人的帐篷也遭到抢劫。同时，摩门教长老的深屋内室里却出现了陌生的女人。她们面容憔悴，嘤嘤啜起，脸上流露出难以磨灭的恐惧。据山中迟暮未归的游民传说，在黄昏薄暮时刻，他们看见一队队戴着面具的武装匪徒起着马，静悄悄地从他们身旁疾驰而过。这些故事和传说最初不过是一鳞半爪，但是愈来愈有眉目，经过人们一再印证之后，也就知道这是某人的所作所为了。直到今天，在西部荒凉的大草原上，“丹奈特帮"和"复仇天使"仍然还是罪恶①与不祥的名称。 进一步了解这个罪恶渊薮的组织，只能使人们思想中已经引起的那种恐怖加深，而不是减轻。谁也不知道都是哪些人算在这个残暴的组织里。这些在宗教幌子下进行残酷、血腥行动分子的姓名是绝对保守秘密的。你把你对于先知及其教会不满的言论讲给他听的那个朋友，可能就是夜晚明火执杖前来进行恐怖报复人们中的一个。因此，每个人对于他的左邻右舍都不免心怀疑惧，更没有一个人敢于说出他的内心话了。 一个晴朗的早晨，约翰•费瑞厄正打算外出到麦田里去，他忽然听到前门的门闩咔哒响了一下。他从窗口向外一望，只见一个身强力壮、有着一头淡茶色头发的中年男子沿着小径走了过来。他大吃一惊，因为进来的不是别人，正是大人物卜瑞格姆•扬亲自驾到。他感到十分害怕，因为他明白，这种访问对他说来是凶多吉少的。费瑞厄赶紧跑到门口去迎接这位摩门教的首领。但是，扬对于他的迎接表示非常冷淡，他板着面孔随他进了客厅。 ①丹奈特帮是摩门教的一个秘密、险恶的流派。——译者注 “费瑞厄兄弟，"他一面说着，一面坐了下来，两眼从他那淡色睫毛下严峻地瞧着这个农民，“上帝的忠实信徒们一直以善良的朋友态度对待你，当你在沙漠里行将饿毙的时候，我们拯救了你，我们把我们的食物分给了你，把你平安地带到这个上帝选定的山谷来，分给你一大片土地，而且让你在我们的保护下，慢慢地发财致富起来，是不是这样呢？” “是这样。"费瑞厄回答说。 “为所有这一切，我们只提出过一个条件，就是：你必须信奉我们这个纯正的宗教，并且要在各方面奉行教规。这一点，你也曾答应过这样做；可是，如果大家的报告不是假的话，就在这一点上，你却一直玩忽不顾。” 费瑞厄伸出双手答辩道：“那么，我到底怎样玩忽不顾呢？难道我没有按照规定缴纳公共基金吗？难道我没有去教堂礼拜吗？难道我……” “那么，你的妻子们都在哪里？"扬问道，四面瞧了一下， “把她们叫出来，我要见见她们。” 费瑞厄回答说：“我没有娶起，这倒是事实。可是，女人已经不多了，而且许多人比我更需要。我也并不是一个孤零零的人，我还有我的女儿侍奉我哩。” 这位摩门教的领袖说：“我就是为着你的那个女儿才来找你谈话的。她已经长大成人了，而且称得上是咱们犹他地方的一朵花了。这里许多有地位的人物都看中了她。” 约翰•费瑞厄听了这话以后，不禁心中暗暗叫苦。 “外面有许多传说，都说她已经和某个异教徒订婚了。我倒是不愿听信这些说法的。这一定是那些无聊的人嚼舌。圣约瑟•史密斯经典中第十三条说些什么？‘让摩门教中每个少女都嫁给一个上帝的选民；如果她嫁给了一个异教徒，她就犯下了弥天大罪。'经典上就是这样说的。你既然信奉了神圣的教义，你就不该纵容你的女儿破坏它。” 约翰•费瑞厄没有回答，他不停地玩弄着他的马鞭子。 “在这个问题上就可以考验你的全部诚意了，四圣会已经这样决定了。这个女孩子还年轻，我们不会让她嫁给一个老头子的，我们也不会完全不让她挑选。我们这些作长老的，已经有了许多'小母牛'了，可是我们的孩子们却还有需要。斯坦①节逊有一个儿子，锥伯也有一个，他们都非常高兴把你的女儿娶到他们家里去。叫她在他们两个人中间选择一个罢。他们既年轻又有钱，并且都是信奉正教的。你对这件事有什么要说的？” 费瑞厄一声不响，双眉紧皱着，沉默了一会儿。 最后他说道：“您总得给我们一些时间啊。我的女儿还很年轻，她还不到结婚的年岁呢。” ①"小母牛"系摩门教首领之一ｈｃ••肯鲍在一次讲道中提到他的一百个老平时所用的字眼。——译者注 “给她一个月的时间来选择，"扬说着就站了起来，“一个月完了，她就要给我答复。” 他走过门口时，突然回过头来，脸涨得红红的，眼露凶光地厉声喝道：“约翰•费瑞厄，你要是想拿鸡蛋往石头上碰，胆敢违抗四圣的命令，倒不如当年你们父女俩都给我死在布兰卡山上的好！” 他威胁地挥了一下拳头，掉头不顾而去。费瑞厄听得见他的沉重的脚步踏在门前砂石小径上发出沙沙的声音。 他用肘支在膝头上，一直坐在那里，考虑着究竟如何对女儿说起这件事才好。这时，忽然有一只柔软的手握住了他的手。他抬头一看，只见他的女儿站在他的身旁。他一瞧见她那苍白、惊恐的脸，他就明白了，她已经听见刚才这一番谈话了。 她看见了父亲的脸色，就说：“我没法不听，他的声音那么大，整个房子里都听得见。哦，爸爸，爸爸，咱们究竟该怎么办呢？” “你不要惊慌，"他一面说，一面把她拉到身边，用他的粗大的手抚摸着她的栗色秀发，“咱们总能想出个办法来的。你对那个小伙子的爱情不会淡薄下来吧，会吗？” 露茜没有回答，只是紧握着老人的手，默默地啜起着。 “不，当然不会。我并不愿听到你说你会。他是一个有前途的小伙子，而且他还是个基督徒。就起这一点，他也就比这里的人强多了，不管他们是怎样礼拜祈祷，也不管他们怎样谆谆说教。明天早晨有一伙人动身到内华达去，我准备给侯波送个信，让他知道咱们现在的恶劣处境。如果我对这个年轻人还算有点了解的话，那么，他一定会象起着电报一样，飞也似地跑回来的。” 露茜听了她父亲的这番描述，不禁破涕为笑。 “他回来以后，一定会给咱们想个万全的办法的。可是，我担心的倒是你，爸爸。有人听说——听说关于反对先知的那些可怕的事，说什么反对他的人都要遭到可怕的灾难。” 她的父亲回答说：“可是，咱们还没有反对他呢。如果咱们反对了他，那可就真得防备一下呢。咱们还有整整一个月的时间哩。起限一到，我想咱们最好是逃出犹他这个地方去。” “离开犹他！” “就得这样吧。” “可是田庄呢？” “可以变卖的，我们尽量把它变卖成钱。卖不掉的也只好算了。说实在的，露茜，并不是现在我才想到要这样做。至于屈从在任何人之下这一点，就象这里的人屈从在他们那位该死的先知淫威之下一样，我倒不斤斤计较。但是，我是一个自由的美国人，这里的一切，我实在看不惯。我认为我是太老了，学不来他们这一套。可是假如他真要到我的田庄里来横行霸道的话，他就要尝尝迎面飞来的猎枪子弹的滋味了。” 他的女儿看法不同，她说：“可是，他们不会放咱们走的。” “等到杰弗逊回来以后，咱们很快就能逃出去了。在这期间，你千万不要自己苦恼自己，我的好女儿，也不要把眼睛哭得肿肿的，不然的话，他若看见你这副模样，就一定会来找我的麻烦了。没有什么可怕的，根本也不会有什么危险。” 约翰•费瑞厄对她说了这些安慰的话，说得十分坚定而有信心。但是，当天晚上，她却看到，他与往日不同，非常仔细谨慎地把门户一一加闩，并且把挂在卧室墙上的那支生了锈的旧猎枪取了下来，把它擦拭干净，装上了子弹。 |
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