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Capitol 10: John Ferrier parla con la profeta

10. John Ferrier Talks with the Prophet

Tre semanas ia pasa pos la parti de Jefferson Hope e sua cameradas de la Site de la Lago Salosa. La cor de John Ferrier ia dole en el cuando el ia pensa sur la reveni de la joven, e sur la perde prosiminte de sua enfante adotada. Ma sua fas briliante e felis ia reconsilia el a la situa plu ca cualce razona ia ta pote. El ia ave ja sempre la deside, profonda en sua cor determinada, ce nunca cualce cosa va convinse el a permete ce sua fia sposi un mormon. El ia regarda un tal sposi tota no como un sposi, ma como un vergonia e un desonora. An con cualce opina par el sur la credes mormon, sur acel punto unica el ia es nonflexente. El ia debe clui sua boca sur la tema, an tal, car la espresa de un opina nonortodox ia es un ata perilosa en acel dias en la Pais de la Santas.

Three weeks had passed since Jefferson Hope and his comrades had departed from Salt Lake City. John Ferrier’s heart was sore within him when he thought of the young man’s return, and of the impending loss of his adopted child. Yet her bright and happy face reconciled him to the arrangement more than any argument could have done. He had always determined, deep down in his resolute heart, that nothing would ever induce him to allow his daughter to wed a Mormon. Such a marriage he regarded as no marriage at all, but as a shame and a disgrace. Whatever he might think of the Mormon doctrines, upon that one point he was inflexible. He had to seal his mouth on the subject, however, for to express an unorthodox opinion was a dangerous matter in those days in the Land of the Saints.

Si, un ata perilosa — tan perilosa ce an la plu virtuosas ia osa fa no plu ca xuxa sua opinas relijial con respira retenida, afin un parola cadente de sua labios no ta es malinterpreteda e ta trae un puni rapida a los. La vitimes de persegue ia deveni aora perseguores mesma, e perseguores con descrive la plu asustante. La Incuisisio de Sevilla, e la Vehmgericht deutx, e la Sosias Secreta de Italia ia es nunca capas de ativi un sistem plu intensa ca lo cual ia lansa un nube supra la Stato Utah.

Yes, a dangerous matter — so dangerous that even the most saintly dared only whisper their religious opinions with bated breath, lest something which fell from their lips might be misconstrued, and bring down a swift retribution upon them. The victims of persecution had now turned persecutors on their own account, and persecutors of the most terrible description. Not the Inquisition of Seville, nor the German Vehmgericht, nor the Secret Societies of Italy, were ever able to put a more formidable machinery in motion than that which cast a cloud over the State of Utah.

Sua nonvidablia, e la misterio cual es liada a lo, ia fa ce esta organiza es duple asustante. Lo ia pare es omnisiente e omnipotente, ma lo ia es no videda e no oiada. Cualce om ci ia resiste contra la Eglesa ia desapare completa, e nun ia sabe a do el ia vade o cua ia aveni a el. Sua sposa e sua enfantes ia espeta el a casa, ma no padre ia reveni a cualce tempo per informa los como el ia es tratada en la manos de sua judores secreta. Un parola noncauta o un ata fretada ia es segueda par elimina, ma nun ia sabe como pote es la natur de esta potia asustante cual ia es suspendeda supra los. Lo es sin surprende ce persones ia fa sua vives con teme e trema, e ce an en la cor de la savajeria on no ia osa xuxa la dutas cual ia opresa los.

Its invisibility, and the mystery which was attached to it, made this organisation doubly terrible. It appeared to be omniscient and omnipotent, and yet was neither seen nor heard. The man who held out against the Church vanished away, and none knew whither he had gone or what had befallen him. His wife and his children awaited him at home, but no father ever returned to tell them how he had fared at the hands of his secret judges. A rash word or a hasty act was followed by annihilation, and yet none knew what the nature might be of this terrible power which was suspended over them. No wonder that men went about in fear and trembling, and that even in the heart of the wilderness they dared not whisper the doubts which oppressed them.

Inisial, esta potia neblosa e asustante ia es usada sola contra la defiores ci, pos abrasa la relijio mormon, ia desira plu tarda perverti o abandona lo. Pos corta, an tal, lo ia ave un estende plu larga. La furni de femes adulte ia es diminuinte, e la poligamia sin popla fema disponable ia es vera un prinsipe nonfertil. Rumores strana ia comensa sirculi — rumores sur migrores matada e campas rubada en rejiones do on ia vide nunca nativas. Femes fresca ia apare en la aremes de la decanos — femes ci ia anela plorante, e ci ia porta en sua fases la trasas de un teror nonestinguable. Vagores tarda sur la montania ia descrive ganges de omes armada, mascida, furtiva e silente, ci ia pasa lejera los en la oscuria. Esta racontas e rumores ia gania sustantia e forma e ia es confirmada e reconfirmada, asta cuando los ia resolve se a un nom definida. An oji, en la ranxos solitar de la ueste, la nom de la Bande Danita, o la Anjeles Venjante, es menasante e un nom de mal averti.

At first this vague and terrible power was exercised only upon the recalcitrants who, having embraced the Mormon faith, wished afterwards to pervert or to abandon it. Soon, however, it took a wider range. The supply of adult women was running short, and polygamy without a female population on which to draw was a barren doctrine indeed. Strange rumours began to be bandied about — rumours of murdered immigrants and rifled camps in regions where Indians had never been seen. Fresh women appeared in the harems of the elders — women who pined and wept, and bore upon their faces the traces of an unextinguishable horror. Belated wanderers upon the mountains spoke of gangs of armed men, masked, stealthy and noiseless, who flitted by them in the darkness. These tales and rumours took substance and shape and were corroborated and recorroborated, until they resolved themselves into a definite name. To this day, in the lonely ranches of the West, the name of the Danite Band, or the Avenging Angels, is a sinister and an ill-omened one.

Un conose plu completa de la organiza cual ia produi resultas tan asustante ia susede aumenta e no diminui la teror cual lo ia inspira en la mentes de persones. La nomes de la partisipores en la atas de sangue e violentia fada su la nom de relijio ia es mantenida como secretas profonda. La ami mesma a ci on ta comunica sua dutas pertinente a la Profeta e sua mision ta es cisa un de los ci ta emerji a note con foco e spada per esecuta un puni asustante. Tal, cadun ia teme sua visina, e nun ia parla sur la cosas la plu prosima a sua cor.

Fuller knowledge of the organisation which produced such terrible results served to increase rather than to lessen the horror which it inspired in the minds of men. None knew who belonged to this ruthless society. The names of the participators in the deeds of blood and violence done under the name of religion were kept profoundly secret. The very friend to whom you communicated your misgivings as to the Prophet and his mission might be one of those who would come forth at night with fire and sword to exact a terrible reparation. Hence every man feared his neighbour, and none spoke of the things which were nearest his heart.

En un matina bela, John Ferrier ia es a punto de comensa en via a sua campos de trigo, cuando el ia oia la clica de la fisador, e, regardante tra la fenetra, ia vide un om spesa de eda media con capeles jalin brun, prosiminte longo la rueta. Sua cor ia salta a sua boca, car esta ia es no otra person ca Brigham Young, la grande mesma. Plen de ansia — car el ia sabe ce un tal visita predise mal per el — Ferrier ia core a la porte per saluta la xef mormon. Esta, an tal, ia reseta sua salutas sin zelo, e ia segue el con fas sever a la salon.

One fine morning John Ferrier was about to set out to his wheatfields, when he heard the click of the latch, and, looking through the window, saw a stout, sandy-haired middle-aged man coming up the pathway. His heart leapt to his mouth, for this was none other than the great Brigham Young himself. Full of trepidation — for he knew that such a visit boded him little good — Ferrier ran to the door to greet the Mormon chief. The latter, however, received his salutations coldly, and followed him with a stern face into the sitting-room.

“Frate Ferrier,” el ia dise, sentante se, e regardante agu la cultivor de su sua siles de color pal, “la credores vera ia es bon amis a tu. Nos ia aseta tu cuando tu ia fami en la deserto, nos ia comparti nosa comedas con tu, ia gida tu en securia a la Vale Elejeda, ia dona a tu un parte jenerosa de tera, e ia permete ce tu deveni rica su nosa proteje. Esce lo no es tal?”

“Brother Ferrier,” he said, taking a seat, and eyeing the farmer keenly from under his light-coloured eyelashes, “the true believers have been good friends to you. We picked you up when you were starving in the desert, we shared our food with you, led you safe to the Chosen Valley, gave you a goodly share of land, and allowed you to wax rich under our protection. Is not this so?”

“Lo es tal,” John Ferrier ia responde.

“It is so,” answered John Ferrier.

“Intercambiada per tota de esta, nos ia solisita sola un constrinje: esta ia es ce tu va abrasa la crede vera, e conforma en cada modo a sua conduis. Tu ia promete fa esta, e, si la reporta comun parla vera, tu ia fali fa lo.”

“In return for all this we asked but one condition: that was, that you should embrace the true faith, and conform in every way to its usages. This you promised to do, and this, if common report says truly, you have neglected.”

“E como me ia fali fa lo?” Ferrier ia demanda, estendente sua manos en desacorda. “Esce me no ia dona a la finansia comun? Esce me no ia es presente a la Templo? Esce me no ia — ?”

“And how have I neglected it?” asked Ferrier, throwing out his hands in expostulation. “Have I not given to the common fund? Have I not attended at the Temple? Have I not — ?”

“Do es vosa sposas?” Young ia demanda, regardante sirca se. “Clama los a entra, afin me ta saluta los.”

“Where are your wives?” asked Young, looking round him. “Call them in, that I may greet them.”

“Lo es vera ce me no ia sposi,” Ferrier ia responde. “Ma femes ia es poca, e multe omes ia ave reclamas plu bon ca me. Me no ia es un om solitar: me ia ave mea fia per atende mea mancas.”

“It is true that I have not married,” Ferrier answered. “But women were few, and there were many who had better claims than I. I was not a lonely man: I had my daughter to attend to my wants.”

“Lo es sur acel fia ce me desira parla a tu,” la xef de la mormones ia dise. “El ia crese per deveni la flor de Utah, e ia trova favore en la oios de multe ci es potiosa en la pais.”

“It is of that daughter that I would speak to you,” said the leader of the Mormons. “She has grown to be the flower of Utah, and has found favour in the eyes of many who are high in the land.”

John Ferrier ia jemi interna.

John Ferrier groaned internally.

“On ave rumores sur el cual me ta prefere descrede — rumores ce el es liada a alga pagan. Sin duta esta es la parleta de linguas pigra. Cua es la regula des-tre en la codigo de la santa Joseph Smith? ‘Ta ce cada xica de la crede vera sposi un de la elejedas; car si el sposi un pagan, el fa un peca grave.’ Car esta es tal, lo es nonposible ce tu, ci afirma la crede santa, ta permete ce tua fia viole lo.”

“There are stories of her which I would fain disbelieve — stories that she is sealed to some Gentile. This must be the gossip of idle tongues. What is the thirteenth rule in the code of the sainted Joseph Smith? ‘Let every maiden of the true faith marry one of the elect; for if she wed a Gentile, she commits a grievous sin.’ This being so, it is impossible that you, who profess the holy creed, should suffer your daughter to violate it.”

John Ferrier ia fa no responde, ma el ia jua nervosa con sua flajelo de cavalor.

John Ferrier made no answer, but he played nervously with his riding-whip.

“Sur esta punto unica, tua fida intera va es esaminada — tal on ia deside en la Consilio Santa de Cuatro. La xica es joven, e nos no ta obliga el a sposi capeles gris, como ance nos no ta priva el de tota eleje. Nos decanos ave multe bovetas fema,* ma nos debe furni ance a nosa enfantes. Stangerson ave un fio e Drebber ave un fio, e cualcun de los ta bonveni tua fia a sua casa. Ta ce el eleje entre los. Los es joven e rica, e de la crede vera. Como tu dise a esta?”

“Upon this one point your whole faith shall be tested — so it has been decided in the Sacred Council of Four. The girl is young, and we would not have her wed grey hairs, neither would we deprive her of all choice. We elders have many heifers,* but our children must also be provided. Stangerson has a son and Drebber has a son and either of them would gladly welcome your daughter to their house. Let her choose between them. They are young and rich, and of the true faith. What say you to that?”

* Heber C. Kemball, en un de sua sermones, refere a sua sento sposas par usa esta epiteto atraente.

* Heber C. Kemball, in one of his sermons, alludes to his hundred wives under this endearing epithet.

Ferrier ia resta silente tra alga tempo corta con sua fronte plietada.

Ferrier remained silent for some little time with his brows knitted.

“Vos va dona tempo a nos,” el ia dise final. “Mea fia es multe joven — el ave apena la eda per sposi.”

“You will give us time,” he said at last. “My daughter is very young — she is scarce of an age to marry.”

“El va ave un mense per eleje,” Young ia dise, levante de sua seja. “A la fini de acel tempo, el va dona sua responde.”

“She shall have a month to choose,” said Young, rising from his seat. “At the end of that time she shall give her answer.”

El ia es pasante tra la porte cuando el ia turna, con fas rojida e oios coler. “Lo ta es plu bon per tu, John Ferrier,” el ia ruji, “si tu e el ta reposa aora como sceletos blancida sur la Sierra Blanco, ca si tu sta tua voles debil contra la comandas de la Cuatro Santa!”

He was passing through the door when he turned, with flushed face and flashing eyes. “It were better for you, John Ferrier,” he thundered, “that you and she were now lying blanched skeletons upon the Sierra Blanco, than that you should pit your weak wills against the orders of the Holy Four!”

Con un jesti menasante de sua mano, el ia turna de la porte, e Ferrier ia oia la craci de sua pasos pesosa longo la rueta de calculos.

With a threatening gesture of his hand, he turned from the door, and Ferrier heard his heavy steps scrunching along the shingly path.

El ia senta ancora con sua codo sur sua jeno, considerante como el va revela la problem a sua fia, cuando un mano suave ia es poneda sur la sua, e levante sua oios, el ia vide ce Lucy sta a sua lado. Un regardeta a sua fas pal e asustada ia mostra a el ce la fia ia oia cua ia aveni.

He was still sitting with his elbow upon his knee, considering how he should broach the matter to his daughter, when a soft hand was laid upon his, and looking up, he saw her standing beside him. One glance at her pale, frightened face showed him that she had heard what had passed.

“Me no ia pote evita lo,” el ia dise, respondente a sua regarda. “Sua vose ia resona tra la casa. O! Padre, padre! Como nos va ata?”

“I could not help it,” she said, in answer to his look. “His voice rang through the house. Oh, father, father, what shall we do?”

“No asusta tu,” el ia responde, tirante el a se, e pasante sua mano larga e ru en caresa sur sua capeles castanin. “Nos va solve lo en alga modo o un otra. Tu no trova ce tua desira comensa diminui per esta xico, no?”

“Don’t you scare yourself,” he answered, drawing her to him, and passing his broad, rough hand caressingly over her chestnut hair. “We’ll fix it up somehow or another. You don’t find your fancy kind o’ lessening for this chap, do you?”

Un sanglota e un preseta de sua mano ia es sua sola responde.

A sob and a squeeze of his hand was her only answer.

“No; natural no. Me no ta vole oia si tu ta dise si. El es un xico gustable, e el es un cristian, cual es plu ca esta popla asi, an con sua multe preas e predicas. Un grupo parti doman per Nevada, e me va maneja envia a el un mesaje informante el sur nosa mal situa. Si me conose acel joven a cualce grado, el va reveni asi con un rapidia cual ta burla telegrames eletrical.”

“No; of course not. I shouldn’t care to hear you say you did. He’s a likely lad, and he’s a Christian, which is more than these folk here, in spite o’ all their praying and preaching. There’s a party starting for Nevada tomorrow, and I’ll manage to send him a message letting him know the hole we are in. If I know anything o’ that young man, he’ll be back here with a speed that would whip electro-telegraphs.”

Lucy ia rie tra sua larmas a la descrive par sua padre. “Cuando el veni, el va dona a nos la consela la plu bon. Ma lo es per tu ce me es asustada, cara. On oia — on oia racontas tan xocante sur los ci oposa la Profeta: un cosa asustante aveni sempre a los.”

Lucy laughed through her tears at her father’s description. “When he comes, he will advise us for the best. But it is for you that I am frightened, dear. One hears — one hears such dreadful stories about those who oppose the Prophet: something terrible always happens to them.”

“Ma nos ancora no ia oposa el,” sua padre ia responde. “La momento de vijila per tempestas va ariva cuando nos ata. Nos ave un mense intera ante nos; a la fini de acel, me suposa ce nos va debe gami a via de Utah.”

“But we haven’t opposed him yet,” her father answered. “It will be time to look out for squalls when we do. We have a clear month before us; at the end of that, I guess we had best shin out of Utah.”

“Parti de Utah!”

“Leave Utah!”

“Acel es la idea, plu o min.”

“That’s about the size of it.”

“Ma la cultiveria?”

“But the farm?”

“Nos va recolie tan multe mone como nos pote, e va lasa la resta. Disente la vera, Lucy, esta no es la ves prima cuando me ia pensa a fa lo. Me no desira sede a cualce om, como esta popla a sua Profeta enfernin. Me es un american de nase libre, e la situa es completa nova a me. Me suposa ce me es tro vea per aprende. Si el veni esaminante tra esta cultiveria, cisa el va encontra un xuta de plomo viajante en la otra dirije.”

“We will raise as much as we can in money, and let the rest go. To tell the truth, Lucy, it isn’t the first time I have thought of doing it. I don’t care about knuckling under to any man, as these folk do to their darned Prophet. I’m a freeborn American, and it’s all new to me. Guess I’m too old to learn. If he comes browsing about this farm, he might chance to run up against a charge of buckshot travelling in the opposite direction.”

“Ma on no va permete ce nos parti,” sua fia ia protesta.

“But they won’t let us leave,” his daughter objected.

“Espeta asta cuando Jefferson veni, e nos va solve pronto acel. Entretempo, no ansia tu, mea cara, e no infla tua oios par larma, o el va veni combatosa a me cuando el vide tu. On ave no cosa per teme, e on ave tota no peril.”

“Wait till Jefferson comes, and we’ll soon manage that. In the meantime, don’t you fret yourself, my dearie, and don’t get your eyes swelled up, else he’ll be walking into me when he sees you. There’s nothing to be afeard about, and there’s no danger at all.”

John Ferrier ia vosi esta comentas consolante en tono multe serta, ma Lucy no ia pote evita oserva ce en acel sera el ia fisa la portes con atende nonusual, e ce el ia limpi e carga atendosa la vea fusil osidinte de xasa cual ia pende sur la mur de sua sala de dormi.

John Ferrier uttered these consoling remarks in a very confident tone, but she could not help observing that he paid unusual care to the fastening of the doors that night, and that he carefully cleaned and loaded the rusty old shotgun which hung upon the wall of his bedroom.