Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-12-27


| the backs of his two visitors.
Look here" he said ut last. striding
up to them, when my daughter sum-
mons you, you can come; but until then
I don't want to see your faces again. ;"
The two young Mormons stared at
him in amazelnent. In their eyes. this
competition between them for the maid.
ems hand was the highest of hOnors.
both to her and her father
"There are two ways out OF the
room," cried Ferrier "There Is the
door, and there is the window. Which
do YOU care to use?"
His brown face looked SO savage.
and his gaunt hands so threatening,
that his visitors sprang to their feet
and beat hurried retreat. The old
farmer followed them to the door.
LET me know when you have set
tied which it is to be- he said, satdOn-
ical!y.
You shall smart for this" Stanger-
son cried, white with rage. You have
defied the prophet and the council Of
four. You shall rue it to the end of
your days"
The hand of the Lord shall be heavy
upon you" cried young Drebber. He
will arise and smite your
Then I'll start the smiting" eX-
claimed Ferlier, furiously, and would
have rushed up stairs for his gun, had
not Lucy seized him by the arm apd
! restrained him. Before he could escape
: from her, the clatter of horses hoofs
told him that they were beyond his
reach.
THE young canting rascals!" he ex-
claimed, wiping the perspiration from
his forehead. Il would sooner see you
in your grave, my girl, than the wife
of either of them"
And SO should I. father" she an
swered, with spirit. But Jefferson will
soon be here"
Eyes. it will not be long before he
comes; the sooner the better, for we
do not know what their next move
may be-"
1t was. indeed, high time that some
one capable Of giving advice and help
should come to the aid of the sturdy
old farmer and his adopted daughter.
In the whole history of the settlement
there had never been such a case of
rank disoDedienc" to the authority of
the elders. If minor errors were pun
ished so sternly, what would be the
fate Of this arch rebel? Ferrier knew
that his wcuith and position would be
Of no avail to him. Others as well
known and as rich as himself had been
spirited away before now, and their
goods given over to the church. He
was brave man, but he trembled at
the vague. shadowy terrors which hung
over him. Any known danger he could
face: with a firm lip, but this suspense
was unnerving. He concealed his fears
from his daughter, however. and af-
fected to make light Of the whole mat
ter. though she, with the keen eye of
love, saw plainly that he was i'll at
ease
He expected that he would receive
some message or remonstrance from
Young as to his conduct, and he was
| not mistaken, though it came in an
| unlooked-for manner Upon rising next
| morning he found. to his surprise, a
| small square Of paper pinned OH to
! the coverlet of his bed, just over his
chest. On it was printed, in bold,
| struggling letters:
"Twenty-nine days are given you for
| amendment, and then
The dash was far more fear-inspiring
| than any threat could have been. How
this warning came into his room puz-
zled John Ferrier sorely, for his serv-
ants slept in an clubhouse. and the
doors and windows had all been Sc
cured. He crumpled the paper up, and
said nothing 10 his daughter. but the
| incident struck chill to his heart. The
Twenty-Five days were evidently the
balance Of the month which Young had
promised. What strength or courage
could avail against an enemy armed
/ xxyifh OF Tho
hand which fastened that pin might
have struck him to the heart, and he
could never have known who had slain
him.
Still more shaken was he next morn
| ing. They had sat down to their break
fast. when Lucy. with cry Of sur
prise. pointed upward. In the center
| of the ceiling was scrawled, with a
burned stick, apparently, the number
%. 10 his daughter it was unintelligi-
BILE. and he did not enlighten her. That
night he sat up with his gun and kept
| watch and ward. He saw and heard
| nothing. and yet in the morning a
| great 81 had been painted upon the out
| side Of the door.
Thus day followed day. and so sure
as II olning came he found that his un-
seen ercmies had kept their register,
and had marked up in some conspicu-
GUS position how many days were still
left to him out of the month Of grace
Sometimes the fatal numbers appeared
upon the walls. sometimes upon the
floors. occasionally they We're upon
/ srcall placards stuck upon the garden
gat, o, the ratings. With all his Wig
lance John Terrier could not discover
whence these daily warnings proceed
ed. A horror. which was almost SUPER
I, stitiouS. came upon him ut the sight Of
them. He became bagyard and restless
/, and his eyes had the troubled look Of
some haunted creature. He had but
one hope in life now and that was for
the arrival OF the young hunter from
Nc> ada.
Twenty had changed to fifteen and
fifteen to ten but there was no news
of the absentee. One by one the num-
bers dwindled down. and still there
came no sign Of him. Whenever a
horseman clattcred down the road or
q driver shouted to his team, the old
farmer hurried to the gate. thinking
that help had arrived ut last. At last,
| when he saw five give way to four. and