Sherlock Holmes.

Chapter 8 The Tracking of Blood Letters (7)
Hou Po is a career-oriented character, active and optimistic in his work.The reason why he was uncharacteristically depressed today was that his soul was taken away by Lucy, and his heart was filled with a passion like fire.

Lucy appeared in front of his eyes from time to time, so that he didn't have much enthusiasm for anything now.For him, Lucy has become his one and only.He had come to a critical juncture in his life, and his feeling for Lucy was so strong and longing, it was a passion from the bottom of his heart, and it was irresistible.From birth to now, he has always been able to do what he wants to do.He vowed that no matter how difficult he faced this time, he would succeed and get Lucy.

That evening, he paid a formal visit to the Ferriers, and he became a frequent visitor to her house thereafter.Since John Ferrier lived in the valley all year round, he knew very little about the outside world.Jefferson Hope, as soon as he came to his house, told them what he had seen and heard, and he told them so eloquently and vividly that the father and daughter were fascinated.Hou Po was one of the first gold diggers to arrive in California. He had seen gold everywhere and countless people who got rich, but at the same time, he had seen too many people go bankrupt due to gold mining.He has worked as a guide, hunted wild animals, worked as a ranch hand, and searched for silver mines. He is willing to try all kinds of thrilling things, so he is very popular with everyone.Whenever Hou Po chatted with his father, Lucy would always watch him affectionately from the sidelines, her heart fluttering and her face flushed.The father was not aware of this at all, but the young man knew it already.

One evening, Hopper came to Ferrier's house on horseback again. Lucy, who was sitting at the door of the house, saw him from a distance and hurried to meet him.Hope got off his horse, and striding forward, he shouted, "Lucy, I'm here to say goodbye today, and I'm going. I don't have to ask you to come with me now, but when I come back next time, Are you willing to accept me?" He kept staring at Lucy after speaking.

"Then when will you come back after you leave?" Lucy asked shyly.

"Honey, about two months! By then, we can be together and never be apart!"

"But, I don't know my father..." she replied.

"If our silver mines can be successfully exploited, he will definitely agree. I believe we will succeed."

"Oh, that's great, then I'll wait for your arrangement." As she spoke, she gently nestled her head against his broad chest.

He kissed her forehead and said, "Honey, I'm so sorry to leave you. But they're still waiting for me over there. See you in two months."

After speaking, he went straight to the horse, got on the horse, and galloped away.Lucy stood in front of the door and watched Hou Po's back for a long time until he disappeared without a trace.Back in the room, Lucy was sad, but at the same time she believed she was the happiest girl in Utah.Forced to choose a son-in-law

It had been more than three weeks since Jefferson Hopper had left Salt Lake City, and Ferrier thought of him with some inexplicable melancholy.Because when he came back, he would lose his beloved daughter, but seeing Lucy's happy appearance every day, he persuaded himself to comply with this arrangement.Ferrier knew in his heart that under no circumstances could he marry his daughter to a Mormon, otherwise it would be a shame.However, this matter can only be calculated by himself and cannot be said, because in the territory of the Mormon Church, it is not allowed to make speeches that violate the rules.

Yes, the canon rules are very strict, even those saints with high reputation in the church dare not speak out casually, otherwise they will be killed immediately.The Mormons have laid a vast network in the Utah area. Its scale is magnificent and its organization is strict, which is beyond the reach of any other sect.Moreover, some people who have been persecuted in the past have begun to persecute others even more out of revenge.

This organization is huge, haunted and haunted, and nothing can escape their grasp, which is terrifying.If anyone violates the canon, then the ending is mostly unknown, and there is no news.Therefore, people have to pay special attention to what they say and do, so as not to cause death if they are not careful.This oppressive force is like an invisible big hand, controlling all actions of people, making them have to live in tension and terror every day.

In the beginning, these bad lucks only fell on those apostates, and later, more and more people were hurt.The supply of adult women is running low, rendering polygamy meaningless in Mormon teaching.Slowly, people began to hear all kinds of weird claims.In places where the Indians had never been, many immigrants were killed on the way, and their tents were robbed. Strange women appeared in the room of the Mormon elders. They kept crying and showed extreme panic on their faces...

The vagrants who came back from the mountains lately also talked about it, saying that in the evening, a group of armed troops on horseback and wearing masks galloped past them.People didn't know what kind of team it was at first, but they finally knew it after seeing it with their own eyes.To this day, their titles - "Dannat Gang" and "Avenging Angels" are still associated with evil and ominous.

This organization is mysterious because people don't know who is a member of this organization.They pretend to be religious on the surface, but they are actually doing inhuman activities.No one dares to easily complain to others about their dissatisfaction with the church, because there is no guarantee that the other party is not a member of the organization.Everyone was suspicious of each other and remained silent.

Early one morning, John Ferrier was about to go to work in the field when he heard a knock at the door and looked out hastily.I saw a middle-aged man with a strong body and light yellow hair walking towards their house.He fixed his eyes, and couldn't help breaking out in a cold sweat. It turned out to be the prophet—Brigham.Ferrier was extremely nervous, because he didn't know whether the prophet's presence in person would be a blessing or a curse.He hurried out to greet him, but the prophet didn't show any expression on his greeting, just walked straight into the living room with a grim face.

"Brother Ferrier, the faithful believers of God have always treated you kindly. When you were dying in the desert, we saved you and gave you our food and gave you a piece of land as an exception. God has given us Utah Valley, now let you make your fortune here.

"However, before obtaining all this, you once promised us a condition, that is, you must believe in our Mormonism and strictly abide by the religious rules. You promised all of these at the time. The problem is that now people report that you have no Do what you say, don't you?"

Ferrier hurriedly stretched out his hands and argued: "I don't know what I didn't do as I said? I pay public funds regularly! I go to church every day! What else do I need to do?"

"Have you any wives? Where are they?"

"I admit that I don't have a wife, but does it matter? Besides, the supply of women is insufficient, and there are more people who need wives more than me. Besides, I have my daughter to take care of me."

"I'm here because of your daughter! Your daughter is a famous beauty in Utah, and there are already many high-ranking and high-ranking people here who have taken a fancy to her." The prophet said.

John Ferrier shuddered.

"I heard that she was engaged to a pagan youth. I hope this is not true. Canon No. 13 stipulates that every woman in the Mormon Church must marry God's chosen people. If it is violated, Then she has committed a heinous crime. You say you believe in Mormonism, then you can't let your daughter break this agreement."

John Ferrier did not argue, but kept playing with the whip in his hand.

"You see what to do! The Four Sages have already discussed this issue. Because she is still young, we will not marry her to an old man. Besides, we elders already have many 'heifers'. We have decided to marry her to our children and she has a choice. One is Stangerson's son and one is Draper's son. They are both rich and powerful and of the Orthodox religion, so that's it Already!"

Ferrier frowned and remained silent for a long time.

"My daughter is not yet of marriageable age; can you give us some time?" said Ferrier.

"Okay, that's easy, one month should be enough! After one month, I will ask you to make a decision." After he walked out the door, he showed a fierce look, "John Ferrier, if you dare to disobey The order of the Four Sages is not as good as dying on Mount Blanca." After speaking, he turned around and left.Ferrier only felt that his footsteps were heavy, and he could hardly drag his tired legs.

He sat down on the stone steps in front of the door with his head bowed, his elbows resting on his knees, and he was thinking about how to explain to his daughter. Suddenly, a tender white hand was placed on his, and he looked up. The daughter beside her was obviously frightened.Oh, she heard it all.

The daughter looked at her father helplessly and said anxiously, "Dad, what should I do?"

"Don't worry," he held his daughter in his arms with his thick hands, "we will figure out a way, there is no way out."

Lucy didn't know what to do but cry.

"Your love for that lad won't change, will you? I don't think you will, and I hope you won't. He's a fine lad, and there's no one here like him. To-morrow I'll Write a letter to Hou Po, I believe I will not misunderstand the person, Hou Po will definitely come back as soon as possible."

Only then did Lucy feel a glimmer of hope, and a smile appeared on her teardrop face. "Father, I'm really worried. All those who oppose the Prophet will be killed, so let's..."

"Why should we be afraid? We have never opposed him! We still have a month to go, and I plan to escape from this place in the Utah Valley within this month."

"Escape from the Utah Valley?"

"We have no choice."

"Then what about our property?"

"Sell what you can. If you can't, stay here! Lucy, I don't miss this place. You know I'm a free American, and I don't like the way people live here. Maybe I'm too old to Change my mind, but if anyone comes to my estate to run amok, I'll give him a good meal too."

"But will they let us go?"

"Don't worry, we will escape when Jefferson comes back. During this time, you have to pretend nothing happened, otherwise the prophet will see the flaw, and he will definitely not let us go. Alright, It's okay, everything will be fine."

Johann Ferrier comforted his daughter and seemed confident.But that night, Lucy discovered that her father was different from the past.He went back to the room and bolted the door behind him, took out the old rusty shotgun, cleaned it, and loaded it.escape action
Early the next morning after John Ferrier had finished his conversation with the Prophet, he went to Salt Lake City and sent a message to Jefferson Hope.He described their current situation in the letter and asked him to come back as soon as he received the letter.After delivering the letter, Ferrier finally felt relieved, and went home humming.When he was approaching the door of the house, he saw two horses tied to the posts on both sides of the door, so he hurried into the house in three steps at a time.There were two young men sitting in the living room, a taller young man with a pale face, his legs crossed high, and his feet stretched out by the fire.The other was hideously ugly, with his hands in his pockets and whistling.They nodded symbolically when they saw Ferrier come in, and the tall man spoke first: "We may not know each other, let me introduce first, my name is Joseph Stangerson, and he is Draper The elder's son. When you were in trouble, God stretched out the hand of friendship to you, rescued you from the tiger's mouth, and let you join us." Another extremely ugly person also snorted with a nasal voice : "God will absorb all the people in the world in the end, and he will not abandon everyone."

John Ferrier bowed reluctantly; he understood everything.Stangerson said: "We proposed to your daughter according to the instructions of the father. Please choose one of us. However, I now have four wives, and the Draper brothers have seven wives. Since In that sense, I need it more than he does."

The other said anxiously: "I can't say that. It's not about which of us has more wives, but who is more able to support them. Now I have taken over my father's mill and my financial ability is very good."

"However, when my father is called by God, I will be the owner of the tannery and the tannery. At that time, I will also be your elder, and I will have a more prominent position in the church than you .”

"In this case, let's listen to the girl and see who she chooses." Draper said proudly in the mirror.

John Ferrier could not bear it any longer, and he longed to whip them as hard as he could.He yelled at them: "Listen to me, you two, come if my daughter tells you to come, if she doesn't let you come, you can't step into my house, I'm disgusted to see you. "The two young men were taken aback, looked at each other, and said nothing.From their point of view, it was his honor to propose to his daughter, and for some reason he reacted so violently.

Ferrier yelled again sharply: "Get out of here!"

His face was livid, and his hands were bruised.Seeing that the situation was not good, the two suitors hurried away.Ferrier chased to the door and shouted mockingly: "Come back after you two have discussed it!"

Stangerson stammered angrily: "Don't--ask for--suffer, you'll--regret it!" Little Draper also shouted: "You will be punished by God, who can make you If you live, you can also die!"

Ferrier shouted angrily: "Then I will deal with you first!" He rushed upstairs to get the shotgun, but was blocked by Lucy.

In front of his daughter, he was always helpless and could only watch the two of them run away.He wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "These two bastards, if I marry you to such a person, I will die with regret."

Lucy said frightenedly, "Dad, will Jefferson be back soon?"

"Yes, he will be back soon, I don't know what tricks those bastards will play in the future."

Now, things are really tough for this determined farmer and his daughter, and they need someone to help them.You must know that in the entire area controlled by the Mormons, even the slightest mistake will be punished, not to mention that he dares to offend the elders like this?Ferrier knew full well that wealth and status were of no use to him now, since people of his stature and wealth had been assassinated before.Although he was not afraid of death, he was still a little uneasy in the face of unpredictable disasters.But he didn't want his daughter to see the uneasiness, and tried to act nonchalantly.But these actions of his did not hide from his clever daughter, who was aware of everything.

He knew very well that he would definitely be warned before long.The next day, the expected happened.When he got up in the morning, he found a note on his quilt facing his chest - "If you don't change your ways within 29 days, you will bear the consequences."After reading it, he was a little distracted, not knowing how this mysterious note got into his home.The doors of the house were bolted, and the servants slept in another room.He rubbed up the note indiscriminately, afraid that his daughter would know all about it.The "29 days" on the note reminded him of the time limit, and it seemed that bravery alone could not defeat the mysterious and unpredictable enemy.Because the person who sent the note could have killed him, but he had no idea who that person was.

The next morning, when they were about to eat, Lucy suddenly cried out that she found a "28" written in the center of the ceiling.The daughter asked when it was written, why didn't she know, but the father didn't explain it to her.That night, Ferrier didn't close his eyes. He kept guarding the house all night with a gun, but he didn't find anything.However, the next morning, a big "27" was written on their door.In this way, he can find these numbers every day, sometimes written on the wall, sometimes on the floor.No matter how careful he was, he never found out who did it.Whenever he saw these warnings every day, he would be out of his mind, and because of this, he couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, and spent every day in panic.He has lost a lot of weight, and now the only thing he hopes for is Hou Po's return.

The date changed from twenty days to fifteen days, and from fifteen days to ten days, but there was still no news from Hou Po, and the deadline was getting closer, and Ferrier did not know what to do.He sat outside the door all day looking, but every time he failed.The time limit was shortened day by day, five days became four days, and four days became three days.At last Ferrier was so utterly hopeless that he had to give up the idea of ​​escape.Because he was not familiar with the situation of the mountain at all, even if he ran, he couldn't get out, and there were checkpoints on the main roads, and no one could pass without the order of the Four Saints.It seems that he can only watch this catastrophe looming, but he would rather die than let his daughter suffer such insults.

That night, he sat quietly in the corner of the room again, thinking about this matter, but he still couldn't think of a perfect solution.The next morning, another word "2" appeared on the wall of the house.In other words, tomorrow is the last day of the deadline.No one knows what will happen then.He made various assumptions. If he died, what would happen to his daughter?But is it just waiting to die under the claws of the devil?Thinking of this helpless situation, Ferrier couldn't help crying on the table.

(End of this chapter)