The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1894-06-13
md there is the window. Which do


"Let me know when you have
settled which it is to be-" he said
sardonically.
"You shall smart for thisv' Stanger-
son cried, white with rage. "You
have deAed the prophet and the coun-I
Gil of four. You shall rue it to the end
Of your days" 4
"The hand of the Lord shall be
heavy upon you" cried young Dreb-
ber; "He will arise and smite you"
"Then I'll start the smiting," ex-
claimed Ferrier furiously, and would
have rushed upstairs for his gun had
not Lucy seized him by the arm and
restrained him. Before he could
escape from her, the clatter of horses
hoofs told him that they were beyond
his reach
1.-THE young canting rascals!" he ex-
claimed, wiping the perspiration from
his forehead. ~ would sooner see you
In your grave, my girl, than the wife of
either Of them
"And 80 should l, father" she an
swered with spirit; "but Jefferson
will soon be here"
"Yes. II 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 disobedience to the authority of
the elders II minor errors were pun
ished SO sternly, what would be the
I fate Of this arch rebel? Ferrier knew
/ that his wealth and position would be
of no avail to him. Others as we'll
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 firm lip, but this sus-
pense was unnerving. lie concealed
his fears from his daughter, however,
and affected to make light of the whole
matter, 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 sur
prise, small square of paper pinned
on to the coverlet of his bed, just over
his chest. On it was printed in bold,
struggling letters:
"TwESTY-NISE DAYS ARE GIVEN YOU
FOR AMENDMENT, AND THEN"
The dash was more fear-inspiring
than any threat could have been.
How this warning came into his room
puzzled John Ferrier soroly, for his
servants slept in an osthouec. and the
doors and windows had all been &C.
cured. H0 crumpled the paper up and
said nothing TO his daughter, but the
incident struck o chill into his heart.
The twenty-nine days were evidently
the balance of the month which Young
had promised. What strength or cour-
age could avail against an enemy
armed with such mysterious powers?
The 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
| ont IN
breakfast when Lucy, with cry OF
surprise. pointed upward. In the cen
ter of the ceiling was scrawled, with a
burned stick, apparently, the number
2s. To his daughter it was unin-
telligible, and he did not cnlighten
her. That night he sat up with his
gun and kept watch and ward. Lie
saw and heard nothing, and yet in the
morning n great 81 had been painted
upon the outside of his door.
Thus day followed day; and us sure
as morning came he found that his un-
seen enemies had kept their register,
and had marked up in some conspicu-
GUS position how many days were still
left TO him ont of the month of grace.
Sometimes the fatal numbers appeared
upon the walls, sometimes upon the
floors; occasionally they were on small
placards stuck upon the garden-gate
or the ratings. With all his vigilance
John Ferrier could not discover whence
these daily warnings proceeded. A
horror, which was almost supersti'
tious, came upon him at the sight OF
them. He became haggard and rest
Lees, 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 Nevada.
Twenty had changed to fifteen, and
, fifteen 70 ten; but there was no news
, Of the absentee. One by one the NUN
bers dwindled down, and still there
; came no sign OF him. Whenever q
horseman clattered down the road or q
, driver shouted at his team, the ole
, farmer hurried 70 the gate, thinking
[ that help had arrived at last. At last
when no saw five give way TO four an6
that agsin to three, he lost heart, and
abandoned all hope of escape. Single
, handed, and with his limited klowledg'
of the mountains which surrounded the
? settlement, he knew that he was pow
less. The more frequented roads wer
; strictly watched and guarded, ant
t none could pass along them withou
, an order from the council. Turn whicl
way he would, there appeared to be nj
r avoiding the blow which hung owe
!. him. Yet the old man never wavere'
, In his resolution to part with life itssl