Sherlock Holmes Complete Works 1

Chapter 17 Research on Scarlet Characters 17
By the time Ferrier went to wake his daughter for the journey, Jefferson Hope had packed up all the food he could find, and filled a magnetic bottle of water.Because he is very experienced, he knows that there are few wells in the mountains and they are all far away.When this was done, Ferrier and his daughter came out, all dressed and ready to go.The lovers greeted each other affectionately for a short time, for time is so precious now and there is so much to do.

"We must go at once," said Jefferson Hope, in a low voice, firmly.His expression showed that he knew that there was a huge danger ahead, but he was still determined to rush through it without hesitation. "The front and back doors are guarded, but if we're careful we can slip out the side windows and escape through the wheat fields. Just get on the road and two miles to Eagle's Glen, where the horses are waiting. When day breaks , we should have crossed half of the mountain."

Ferrier asked, "What if someone stops you?"

Hou Po patted the revolver under the skirt of his clothes, and sneered with a desperate attitude, "Even if they are numerous, we can kill a few of them."

All the lights in the house had been extinguished long ago, and Ferrier looked out of the dark window to see the land that once belonged to him but was now about to be abandoned forever.It was difficult for him to give up his hard-earned family property, but when he thought of his daughter's honor and happiness, he would not hesitate to lose it.It was so quiet and peaceful outside, with the rustling of the woods and the endless fields, who could have imagined that the executioner was lurking in it.But the young hunter's pale face and tense expression showed that when he crawled towards the house, he had seen everything clearly, and the degree of danger was beyond his expectation.

Ferrier carried the purse, Jefferson Hope carried a little food and water, and Lucy a small bag containing some of her valuables.They opened the window cautiously, waited until a dark cloud covered the bright moonlight, and jumped out one by one into the small garden.They held their breath, stooped across the garden, and hid under the hedge.Then, tiptoeing along the fence to the gap leading to the cornfield.As soon as he got there, Hou Po suddenly grabbed the two companions and dragged them into a dark place.They lay there quietly, trembling all over.

Perhaps it was the result of long hours of exercise on the prairies that Jefferson Hope had ears as sensitive as a lynx.They had hardly crouched when they heard the mournful hooting of an owl a few yards away, and the same hooting not far off.Accompanied by a cry, a vague figure appeared at the gap in the fence they were about to pass through.This person uttered the same miserable cry, and immediately a person came out from the darkness.

"Tomorrow at midnight, do it with three birdsongs." The first person said in a low voice.He's clearly a leader.

Another replied, "Okay. Shall I tell Brother Draper?"

"Tell him, and let him pass it on to others. Nine to seven!" It was also a whisper, but in the quiet and dark night, the three fugitives could clearly hear it.

"Seven to five!" replied the other, and then the two walked in different directions.What they said was clearly a question-and-answer code.No sooner had the sound of their footsteps disappeared in the distance than Jefferson Hope sprang to his feet, pulled his two companions through the gap, and ran swiftly across the cornfield.Lucy was exhausted, and he was almost dragging her half-supported.

"Hurry up! Hurry up!" He urged again and again panting, "We have already passed the cordon, now it depends on our speed. Hurry up!"

As soon as they were on the road, they galloped forward.Once they met someone, they quickly hid in the cornfield so as not to be recognized.When approaching the edge of the city, Hou Po led the father and daughter into a rugged trail leading to the mountains.In the darkness, two towering black mountains stood in front of them.The narrow path between the two peaks is Eagle Valley, where the horses wait.Jefferson Hope chose his way among the boulders by relying on the skill that hunters had practiced for many years.They followed a dry riverbed to a secluded place hidden by boulders, where the faithful mules were tethered.The girl rode the mule, old Ferrier rode one horse with the purse, and Jefferson Hope mounted the other, and led them along the steep and precipitous winding roads.

For anyone unfamiliar with nature as it is, this is a daunting trail.On one side is a cliff about a thousand feet deep, dark and gloomy, and the long stone beams on the uneven cliff are like the ribs of a fossilized demon.On the other side of the mountain road is a mess of boulders, there is no way to go.In the middle, there is a winding path.Some parts of this path are so narrow that only one person can walk sideways.Such a rugged mountain road, I am afraid that only people who are good at riding horses can pass.Although the environment is so dangerous, their mood is comfortable, because every step they take, they are a little farther away from the place ruled by the devil.

However, it didn't take long for them to discover that they still hadn't escaped from the net of Mormonism.When she reached the most desolate place on the mountain road, Lucy suddenly pointed her finger at it and let out a scream.It turned out that on a rock on the slope above the mountain road, a sentry stood alone. That rock looked very dark and lonely in the night.At the same time, the sentry also found them.Then, in this quiet valley came the shouting of the army like a sentry: "Who is there?"

"A traveler to Nevada," answered Jefferson Hope, holding his rifle by the saddle.

They could see that the sentry on guard had his finger on the trigger and looked down, as if doubting their answer.

The sentinel shouted again: "Who allowed it?"

"It was approved by the Four Saints Association." Ferrier replied immediately.Because he has stayed in Mormonism for so many years, he knows that the power of the four saints in the church is the greatest.

The sentinel called again: "Nine to seven."

"Seven to five," answered Jefferson Hope at once, and the sentinel's words reminded him of the password they had heard in the garden.

"Go, God bless you," said the sentinel above.After passing this level, the road ahead gradually becomes wider.They could get the horse to let go and trot forward.When they looked back, the sentry was still standing alone on the rock, with only the gun for company.At this time, they thought that they had already passed the border checkpoint set up by the Mormons, and that they would be free in front of them.

All through the night, they passed through intricate trails and winding, precipitous, rock-strewn mountain passes.They lost their way more than once, but fortunately Hou Po had lived in the mountains for a long time, and the twists and turns of the mountains and mountains couldn't help him, and finally returned to the right path again and again.At dawn, a desolate and magnificent scene appeared before their eyes.Surrounded by snow-capped peaks, one is higher than the other, stretching to the sky.There are cliffs on both sides of the mountain road, and the larch growing on them seem to be hanging on their heads, as if a gust of wind can blow them down.The fear was not unfounded, as the desolate valley was filled with windblown trees and boulders.Even as they advanced, a boulder rolled down with a rumbling sound that echoed through the silent valley, and the weary horses, frightened, began to gallop.

As the sun slowly climbed to the eastern horizon, the peaks of the mountains were illuminated one by one like festive lanterns, until all the peaks were covered with a red glow, which pierced the eyes.The majestic scenery invigorated the three fugitives, as if they had gained new strength.They stopped beside a rapid that ran out of the valley to water the horses, and they had a hasty breakfast themselves.Lucy and her father would have liked to rest a little longer, but Jefferson Hope urged relentlessly, "We must not delay here; they must be following our tracks. It will all depend on our speed now." Yes. As long as we reach Carson City safely, it doesn't matter if we rest for the rest of our lives."

The whole day, they were desperately rushing on the mountain road.At dusk, they estimated the distance, and they were more than 30 miles away from the enemy.That night, they found a place to settle down under a large hanging rock that could take shelter from the wind.In order to keep out the cold, the three of them huddled tightly together and slept for several hours.However, before dawn, they started a new journey.They saw no sign of any pursuit, and Jefferson Hope thought they had escaped and were out of reach.But he never imagined how far this magic hand could stretch out, and it would immediately approach them and smash them to pieces.

The next day, it was almost noon, although the food was almost finished.However, the hunter was not disturbed, because among the mountains and mountains, there were plenty of birds and animals that could satisfy his hunger.Before, he could get by here with a rifle.He chose a secluded and secluded place, picked some dry wood and lit a fire to keep Ferrier and his daughter warm.They were now on a mountain five thousand feet above sea level, and the wind was bitterly cold.Hope tied up the mules and horses, settled Lucy and his daughter, and went out hunting with his rifle to see if he had any luck.He didn't have much luck walking, and when he looked back, he saw that the old man and the girl were still warming by the fire, and the three mules and horses stood there motionless.He walked a little further, and was blocked by boulders, so he couldn't see them.

He climbed over the mountains and walked two miles, but still found nothing.But from the marks of the trunk and other things, he concluded that wild bears were in the vicinity.He searched for two or three hours, but couldn't find it.He was worried about Lucy and his daughter, and when he was about to go back empty-handed, he accidentally raised his head to look, and couldn't help but feel happy.It turned out that on the edge of a protruding rock three or four hundred feet above the ground, there stood a beast, which looked a bit like a sheep, but had a pair of big long horns on its head. People called it "big horns".The creature stood there, probably standing guard for its kind.Its back was facing Hou Po, so it did not detect his presence.Hou Po took advantage of this opportunity to lie on the ground, put the rifle on the rock, and he took aim slowly and fired.With the sound of gunfire, the beast jumped first, then struggled for a while on the edge of the rock, and finally rolled to the bottom of the valley.

The beast was so heavy that Hou Po couldn't carry it alone, so he cut off the beast's legs and some of the loin and started to drive back.However, as soon as he took a step, he found that he had encountered a problem.Just now, because he was eager to find prey, he had gone far out of the valley he was familiar with, but now it was not easy to find the way back.The valley where he is now has turned into countless ravines, and the ravines are so similar that they are almost indistinguishable, so he had to try to find his way.He walked more than a mile along one of the ravines and came to a mountain stream.He had never seen this mountain stream when he came.Convinced that he had gone the wrong way, he went down another ravine, but the result was the same.Night was falling rapidly, and when he finally found a familiar mountain path, it was completely dark.Although a familiar path had been found, it was not easy to avoid going wrong, for the moon had not yet risen, and the mountains were hidden in darkness, and the high cliffs on both sides made the surroundings still more blurred.Because of the heavy weight on his body, he couldn't straighten his back, and after working hard for a long time, Hou Po felt very tired now.Still, he gritted his teeth and staggered on, for every step brought Lucy closer, and he brought enough food to last them till the end of the journey.

He has now come to the entrance of the valley when he left Lucy's father and daughter.Even in the darkness, he could still make out the outlines of the boulders that blocked the entrance.They must be waiting anxiously for him, he thought, since he had been away from them for almost five hours.Forget about hunger, thirst and fatigue, he was happy for a moment, and by the echo of the valley, he shouted "Hello" to show that he was back.He stopped and listened, and all that came back to him was the echo of the silent, desolate valley.He shouted again, louder than before, but still did not get the answer he expected.He vaguely felt an inexplicable fear, so he rushed there like crazy, and in his haste, he threw away the precious animal meat.

(End of this chapter)