At the head of the column there rode a score or more of grave ironfacedmen, clad in sombre homespun garments and armed with rifles. On reachingthe base of the bluff they halted, and held a short council amongthemselves.
"The wells are to the right, my brothers," said one, a hard-lipped,clean-shaven man with grizzly hair.
"To the right of the Sierra Blanco--so we shall reach the Rio Grande,"said another.
"Fear not for water," cried a third. "He who could draw it from therocks will not now abandon His own chosen people."
"Amen! Amen!" responded the whole party.
They were about to resume their journey when one of the youngest andkeenest-eyed uttered an exclamation and pointed up at the rugged cragabove them. From its summit there fluttered a little wisp of pink,showing up hard and bright against the grey rocks behind. At the sightthere was a general reining up of horses and unslinging of guns, whilefresh horsemen came galloping up to reinforce the vanguard. The word'Redskins' was on every lip.
"There can't be any number of Injuns here," said the elderly man whoappeared to be in command. "We have passed the Pawnees, and there are noother tribes until we cross the great mountains."
"Shall I go forward and see, Brother Stangerson," asked one of the band.
"And I," "and I," cried a dozen voices.
"Leave your horses below and we will await you here," the Elderanswered. In a moment the young fellows had dismounted, fastened theirhorses, and were ascending the precipitous slope which led up to theobject which had excited their curiosity. They advanced rapidly andnoiselessly, with the confidence and dexterity of practised scouts.The watchers from the plain below could see them flit from rock to rockuntil their figures stood out against the skyline. The young man who hadfirst given the alarm was leading them. Suddenly his followers saw himthrow up his hands, as though overcome with astonishment, and on joininghim they were affected in the same way by the sight which met theireyes.
On the little plateau which crowned the barren hill there stood asingle giant boulder, and against this boulder there lay a tall man,long-bearded and hard-featured, but of an excessive thinness. His placidface and regular breathing showed that he was fast asleep. Beside himlay a little child, with her round white arms encircling his brownsinewy neck, and her golden haired head resting upon the breast of hisvelveteen tunic. Her rosy lips were parted, showing the regular line ofsnow-white teeth within, and a playful smile played over her infantilefeatures. Her plump little white legs terminating in white socks andneat shoes with shining buckles, offered a strange contrast to the longshrivelled members of her companion. On the ledge of rock above thisstrange couple there stood three solemn buzzards, who, at the sight ofthe new comers uttered raucous screams of disappointment and flappedsullenly away.
The cries of the foul birds awoke the two sleepers who stared about [20]them in bewilderment. The man staggered to his feet and looked down uponthe plain which had been so desolate when sleep had overtaken him, andwhich was now traversed by this enormous body of men and of beasts. Hisface assumed an expression of incredulity as he gazed, and he passed hisboney hand over his eyes. "This is what they call delirium, I guess,"he muttered. The child stood beside him, holding on to the skirt ofhis coat, and said nothing but looked all round her with the wonderingquestioning gaze of childhood.
The rescuing party were speedily able to convince the two castaways thattheir appearance was no delusion. One of them seized the little girl,and hoisted her upon his shoulder, while two others supported her gauntcompanion, and assisted him towards the waggons.
"My name is John Ferrier," the wanderer explained; "me and that littleun are all that's left o' twenty-one people. The rest is all dead o'thirst and hunger away down in the south."
"Is she your child?" asked someone.
"I guess she is now," the other cried, defiantly; "she's mine 'cause Isaved her. No man will take her from me. She's Lucy Ferrier from thisday on. Who are you, though?" he continued, glancing with curiosity athis stalwart, sunburned rescuers; "there seems to be a powerful lot ofye."
"Nigh upon ten thousand," said one of the young men; "we are thepersecuted children of God--the chosen of the Angel Merona."
"I never heard tell on him," said the wanderer. "He appears to havechosen a fair c
rowd of ye."
"Do not jest at that which is sacred," said the other sternly. "We areof those who believe in those sacred writings, drawn in Egyptian letterson plates of beaten gold, which were handed unto the holy Joseph Smithat Palmyra. We have come from Nauvoo, in the State of Illinois, where wehad founded our temple. We have come to seek a refuge from the violentman and from the godless, even though it be the heart of the desert."
The name of Nauvoo evidently recalled recollections to John Ferrier. "Isee," he said, "you are the Mormons."
"We are the Mormons," answered his companions with one voice.
"And where are you going?"
"We do not know. The hand of God is leading us under the person of ourProphet. You must come before him. He shall say what is to be done withyou."
They had reached the base of the hill by this time, and were surroundedby crowds of the pilgrims--pale-faced meek-looking women, stronglaughing children, and anxious earnest-eyed men. Many were the criesof astonishment and of commiseration which arose from them when theyperceived the youth of one of the strangers and the destitution of theother. Their escort did not halt, however, but pushed on, followed bya great crowd of Mormons, until they reached a waggon, which wasconspicuous for its great size and for the gaudiness and smartness ofits appearance. Six horses were yoked to it, whereas the others werefurnished with two, or, at most, four a-piece. Beside the driver theresat a man who could not have been more than thirty years of age, butwhose massive head and resolute expression marked him as a leader. Hewas reading a brown-backed volume, but as the crowd approached he laidit aside, and listened attentively to an account of the episode. Then heturned to the two castaways.
"If we take you with us," he said, in solemn words, "it can only be asbelievers in our own creed. We shall have no wolves in our fold. Betterfar that your bones should bleach in this wilderness than that youshould prove to be that little speck of decay which in time corrupts thewhole fruit. Will you come with us on these terms?"
"Guess I'll come with you on any terms," said Ferrier, with suchemphasis that the grave Elders could not restrain a smile. The leaderalone retained his stern, impressive expression.
"Take him, Brother Stangerson," he said, "give him food and drink,and the child likewise. Let it be your task also to teach him our holycreed. We have delayed long enough. Forward! On, on to Zion!"
"On, on to Zion!" cried the crowd of Mormons, and the words rippled downthe long caravan, passing from mouth to mouth until they died away in adull murmur in the far distance. With a cracking of whips and a creakingof wheels the great waggons got into motion, and soon the whole caravanwas winding along once more. The Elder to whose care the two waifshad been committed, led them to his waggon, where a meal was alreadyawaiting them.
"You shall remain here," he said. "In a few days you will have recoveredfrom your fatigues. In the meantime, remember that now and for ever youare of our religion. Brigham Young has said it, and he has spoken withthe voice of Joseph Smith, which is the voice of God."