Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-05-16
<I>REAN:
THE MORMON'S DAUGHTER.

laE MONMO1N ~
He seemed to feel indeAnably the approach
Of danger. It may have been only the gem
eral spirit Of his situation that bred this
uneasiness about his heart, but 1t still re.
mains true that his sensitive life in that
hour was fixed point, toward which tho
elements Of death were moving.
At four o'clock in tho afternoon three
horsemen had ridden out Of Salt Lake City
along the broad road that leads toward the
west. Their destination seemed any point
other than Eagle mountain, for they were
riding almost directly away from it, but
after proceeding some half dozen miles in
that direction they turned, and describing
. large half circle were at the base OF the
mountains on the east by dusk. Just after
night had begun to gather another horseman
rode swiftly out Of the city toward Eagle
mountain. For days he had been watching
for this movement, and 1t had all but escaped
him. His heart was burning; perhaps he
was too late and would not succeed. Each
time the thought occurred to him it seemed
to bend him forward in the saddle like
wave unseen, but ponderably driving him
onward. Yet he dared not ride too rashly,
for should he be discovered by the others
the loss of his own life might provo the only
result Of his attempt to rescue the man who
was writing in the little Office upon tho
mountain. He had no means Of know
ing if they had passed on into the
range, or, riding on that half circle, had
not yet arrived at the foot Of the mountains.
But until the range was reached he rode
swiftly, urging his horse with low but
sharp and impatient words. Then he paused
and listened, but could hear nothing. Per-
haps they had not yet entered the main
highway from the side road, and If ho
I'D fprx ard yvHtry yryor
fore they arrived. The thought made his
blood leap, and he galloped up over tho
bench and onward into the long gorge that
burrowed darkly through the first range.
Hundreds of times he had passed through
the great defle, and now he let his horse go
freely in the darkness But presently he
bethought him how, in any case, these men
commissioned to do deed of blood would
ride slowly; even il they were behind him
he need not hasten, and if they had proceed
ed him by haste he might defeat himself, SO
he subdued his eagerness and took more
cautious pace.
At length he reached the eastern end Of
the great canyon, and passed down into
hollow. Just beyond it the vast bulk Of
Eagle mountain doomed against the spangled
sky, with only two Of its grand steeples
visible, owing to his nearness. Suddenly
he refined his horse back and stopped; not .
half mile before him, carried by the road up
over . point on the mountain side, three
horsemen like dim statues were standing
against background Of stars. Evidently
they were listening. He stood still awhile,
with throbbing pulse, and presently they
passed away. All, then his mission would
prove more dificult than he had thought
There was no other road than this, down
which the ores were hauled to the smelters
in the Great Basin. 1t wound around the
lower part of Eagle mountain and some dis
lance down Eagle canyon, then turned to
the right through q gorge, and presently
climbing out Of that, turned back and up
ward half way around the mountain to the
mines.
II he followed the hersemen he might DO
discovered, and even If he should escape
that misfortune the assassination might be
contaminated before he could interfere. He
looked up at the huge looming face Of tho
mountain. Oh, that he might mount direct
ly to the mines But that seemed impossi-
BILE No, he must follow and be close upon
them at the end. He dismounted, led his
horse into some underground and tied it,
then pulling OF his boots, and taking them in
one hand and his revolver in the other, he
pressed forward noiselessly through the
gloom. But when he came to the elevated
point where the horsemen had stopped and
listened he looked up at the great looming
mass again. Suddenly he drew on his
revolver in its holder, and started Ip the
mountain side. Up, up through the stunted
tangle and stones he went, swinging over
lodges, blowing through stretches Of yield
ing gravel, then again fighting through the
stunted tangle. He was a strong young
fellow, but his brow was quickly dripping,
30 great was the strain. In a little time he
| came to . waA of shattered stone that
| scared two hundred feet above his head.
He paused moment before it with all his
| pulses beating loudly, then he began to
climb. Often from the valley below he had
| marked how this great belt Of granite CIR
died half the mountain, and knew it must
be scsGz1 or his mission prove abortive.
Perhaps no human foot had ever mounted
II, but he did not care, he must gain the
summit, and painting and half dizzy with
the heady condition Of his blood, he fought
his way upward. At points huge mots
protruded like knuckles of q fist, and around
| these stone contortions he crept on narrow
lodges, then on up splintered slides, and
over holes and burrows and gaping crew
| ices, until At length he came out upon q
broad shelf and looked upward The wall
still hung above him like . scanned and
jutting forehead; he looked downward, all
! was faint and formless with shadow. he
! felt tremulous and exhausted, but he could
not wait to rest. It seemed to his excited
consciousness that he could sec the enc
| mics OF Elcnaro'S uIe SteSnng up Inc oar <
gorge beyond the mines; but no, they could
not have reached that yet; still he must
hasteni and he dashed the sweat from his
brow and hurried toward the right in search
Of q foothold. But none could be fou nd
Then away to the left andover some ragged
points, and up Q chaotic slide Of rock he
went again. Up, up out Of the dim gull,
with laboring breath, with throbbing tenn
pies, straining and struggling toward
heartrlig hit and the sweet kingship Of him
self.
At last he lay on the summit OF the great
ledge, gasping for breath and with the
blood roaring in his ears. But he could moi
wait, and getting upon his feet pushed OF
up the mountain. Again, it seemed FOL