LIFE in SALT LAKE CITY;
OR,
A Visit to the Mormons. BY LEON LEWIS,
AUTHOR OF "THE GIRL HERMIT," "THE BOY MA-GICIAN," "THE BROKEN HOME," "RED KNIFE," ETC., ETC., ETC.
CHAPTER XXIX.
AN IMPENDING TEMPEST.
On what strange grounds we build our hopes and fears!
Man's life is all a mist, and in the dark
Our fortunes meet us! DRYDEN.
The report of a pistol blended with the wild cry of astonishment that burst from the lips of Elder True, as he became conscious of Harry's presence in the closet.
Then there was a heavy fall, succeeded by a hoarse chuckle of triumph from Coulter.
"I thought I'd fetch him," exclaimed the Bishop, as he flourished his smoking weapon exultingly. "The minute you opened the door, Elder, I saw the Gentile's white fore-head looming out of the darkness, and com-prehended the whole matter. I accordingly took a shot at him over your shoulder, and I flatter myself, pretty promptly—yes, pretty promptly!" "You did indeed," assented True, as he bent over the prostrate body. "You've settled his hash—as sure's preachin” But jest keep quiet a minute. Let's see if the noise has stirred up the women, or any of the neighbors."
They both listened intently a moment, but not a sound disturbed the silence, either within the adjoining dwellings or in the street.
"No, it's too late for that," muttered Coul-ter. "A single shot, in that way, never dis-turbs anybody. It takes a second shot to fix attention. And so—you've got rid of your tormentor a little sooner and a little easier than you expected!" A glow of fiendish jubilance quickly chased away the scared look which had hovered tem-porarily upon the Elder's features. He drew a long breath of relief.
"Yes, he's done for," he declared. "And no one but ourselves, Bishop, 'll be any wiser for his disappearance from the stage of na-tur’. See how still he is! See how he bleeds!"
"Drag him out here," enjoined Coulter. "Let's take a good look at him!"
True hastened to lay hold of the motionless figure and drag it out into his office, while the Bishop held the light. Then the couple proceeded to note the effect of the Bishop's shot.
"You can see where the ball hit him," said Coulter, indicating a red spot on the left tem-ple. "It has entered his brain. He's dead as a door nail!"
"Hardly," returned True, as he relinquished his hold of Harry. "See! there is life in him! Let's look a little sharper. Ah! I see how it is. The ball tore along the scalp, and then glanced off—"
"But, in this case, he isn't dead nor dying!"
"No, he isn't," declared True emphatically, after further examinations. "The ball cut a few veins, so that he bleeds like a butcher; but it did not enter his head. He is only stunned! Another bullet is needed!"
As he made this horrible suggestion, the Elder drew a revolver, and placed the muzzle to the ear of the unconscious Gentile. "Hold!" muttered Coulter, staying the hand of his confederate. "That won't answer. Another shot'd be sure to call in some of your women or the neighbors. A dozen ears may be listening. No, that won't do. We must kill him with a knife."
"The knife, then," returned True, as he drew a huge hunting-knife from beneath his coat. "No, that won't do either. He'd make the room look like a butcher's shop. I know a better way than that. You see that trunk in the corner ?"
Coulter observed the receptacle in question closely.
It was a large, oaken chest, of the sort in frequent use among foreign immigrants, al-most black with age, heavily banded with iron, and furnished with three stout locks. " I brought that trunk from Missouri, when all my worldly effects wouldn't half fill it," said True. "I bought it of a German, and it has seen good service, I can tell you. We'll stow our young friend here into the chest, and lock him in. In fifteen minutes he'll be a corpse."
"Very good," approved Coulter. "We can then bury him at our leisure. This is the easi-est way to get rid of him. We can't be too spry. He moves again. Another moment and he’ll have the city buzzing about our ears."
True hurried to the chest, unlocked it, and dragged from its cavernous depths a few books and articles of wearing apparel. Then he re-turned to Harry, signed to the Bishop to assist him, and the two transported their still in-sensible captive to the chest, into which they cautiously lowered him.
True then shut down the lid, locked it trebly, and stowed the key in his pocket.
"He's disposed of," he ejaculated, in tones of gratulation.
“That much is safe. He can come to now at his leisure, and much good may his return to consciousness do him!" "A good job finished!" declared Coulter, rubbing his hands. " And the best of it is, we've aroused no one. The next thing to be done is to dispose of Dr. Burton, but that is arranged for. As for the matter of cleaning out the church treasury, we must push that through, at once."
"Of course, of course, Bishop," assented True. " I have got to visit the gal to-morrer evenin', but I will have the men all here in my office to-morrer night at one o'clock, when you must be here also to take the lead. Night is the best time to work in—the only time to work unseen—and I'll step around now and call upon the men, and give them warnin' of the intended meetin'. I must send for our men who are outside the city."
At this juncture a faint movement was heard proceeding from within the chest.
"I'll go, too," said Coulter, drawing on his gloves. " Osburn's safe enough, and I don't care to stay to witness his struggles. Let's be off!"
True donned his overcoat, extinguished the light, and the two went out, the Elder taking the precaution to secure the outer door behind him.
Presently the footsteps of the pair were heard receding down the street.
At the same moment a vigorous struggle and muffled cries came from the interior of the massive, iron-bound chest.
And at the same moment, also, the door of the inner room opened, and a woman—the fourth Mrs. True—crept into the office, a light in one hand and a hatchet in the other.
She deposited her light upon the table, and putting her mouth close to the chest, said, in a low, distinct voice:
"Be patient only a minute, Mr. Osburn. I am here—Mrs. True, you know. I will release yon immediately." The struggle within the chest ceased. A low intelligible sound, signifying that Harry had heard and comprehended, answered the woman.
"He has recovered his senses, "Mrs. True murmured. "Every moment of imprisonment now is full of peril to him. The air will soon be exhausted."
She set to work vigorously with her hatchet, with the intention of cutting out the locks. But three or four sharp strokes had rung through the strange night silence, when the door of the inner room—the door by which Mrs. True had entered the office—was opened, and a man entered the chamber.
This man was Brigham Young. Mrs. True leaped to her feet, recoiling sev-eral paces, and ejaculated: "The President!" "Yes, it is I," returned Brigham, sweeping the room with a single keen glance."Give me the hatchet, Sister True! I was under the garden window, and heard and saw all. Give me the hatchet!"
Mrs. True yielded the weapon without a word. Brigham applied himself to the task of free-ing the captive, working swiftly and with a will. Now and then a sound came from Har-ry, showing that he was still conscious and had not yet exhausted the scanty supply of air contained in the narrow space in which he was immured.
A few minutes of sharp, hard work, during which Mrs. True was breathless and agonized, and Brigham's efforts were rewarded with success.
He tore up the chest lid, which had so near-ly proved Harry's coffin lid, and Harry was disclosed pale, almost unconscious, and gasp-ing for breath.
"Lend a hand, Sister True," said Brigham. "We must lay him upon the floor."
They lifted out the nearly lifeless figure, and applied themselves to Harry's recovery, Mrs. True bringing a glass of brandy from the closet, and Brigham pouring a share of the liquor down Harry's throat.
Presently the glow of returning strength colored the rescued man's cheeks. He opened his eyes upon his rescuers with a gaze of grateful recognition.
"You're all right now," said Brigham, wiping his own damp forehead. "You've had a narrow escape, my young friend, yet not so narrow as you think. I was near enough to prevent the consummation of the murder. Are you able to sit up now?"
Harry assented, and Brigham assisted him to arise, and seated him in a chair convenient-ly near.
"You'll soon get back your strength,” said Brigham kindly. "So our worthy Elder and Bishop had three unseen listeners to their in-terview? You were in the closet yonder, Mr. Osburn; I was outside in the garden, under the window; and Sister True was in the back room." "Then you heard all, Mr. Young?" asked Harry feebly.
"All—the whole accursed conspiracy," an-swered Brigham bitterly. "The guilt of these wretches has been declared to me out of their own mouths. And these are men whom I have cherished and honored! My disappoint-ment and sorrow are as great as my anger."
"How did you happen to return here after you and I separated ?" inquired Harry.
"Why, just as you happened to return here yourself—with the intention of getting fur-ther light in regard to these men," declared the Prophet. "Fact is, a conviction of True's hypocrisy forced itself so strongly upon my mind, while I was on my way home, that I turned on my heels and came straight back. And a lucky move it was, too."
"Yes, sir. The villains are thoroughly un-masked."
"And now to avail ourselves of the informa-tion we have gained." proposed the Prophet. “It seems that Mrs. Burton is at Coulter’s." "At least he said so." "And the Doctor is at the Bishop's place in the country—at a certain Cottonwood Ranche." "And our first duty is to rescue them both from their peril," declared Harry, who was now nearly himself again. "Shall we not be-gin with the Doctor? He seems to be in in-stant danger, since the villains propose to burn him alive!"
"Yes, we'll begin with the Doctor. Of course we can depend upon your silence, Sister True, in regard to all these matters?" "Certainly, sir. And if I can assist you or Mr. Osburn in any way, I shall be glad to do so."
"Very good. You can be of service to us, and you shall be. You heard what the con-spirators said about meeting here, with their men, to-morrow night ?" "I did, sir."
"Well, we must keep our own counsel, but I will take care to have a hand in that little af-fair. Keep a good look-out upon the Elder and his friends during the day. Mr. Osburn and I will arrive late in the evening, coming direct to your door, Sister True, and we will so arrange matters that Doctor Burton and other good witnesses will not be long in fol-lowing us. Understand?"
"Perfectly, sir."
"Then all is arranged. Come, Mr. Osburn. We'll take a short cut to Townsend's. Your horse is at the hotel, I believe?"
Harry nodded.
"Then I'll ask Brother Townsend to lend me one, and we'll hasten to free your friends from their captivity."
This programme was at once acted upon, and a few minutes later the couple were taking their leave of the city by the County Road.
As dark and grim as was the night, Brigham led the way rapidly, appearing to be perfectly familiar with, every foot of the route.
"I think I know where the Bishop's Cotton-wood Ranche is," he observed, slackening his pace, several miles to the southward of the Big Field. "It is one of the wildest, loneliest regions in all Utah!"
"Then it is just the spot for such a villain to choose for his retreat," returned Harry.
"Exactly. No safer hiding-place for his prisoner can be found. I think we are on the right trail."
During the long silence that again inter-vened, both men were deeply, terribly busy with their thoughts and reflections.
"We are nearing the place," at length an-nounced the Prophet. "The hut is situated in a little valley in the very depths of the kan-yon before us. The road thither is a very good one. There is neither wood nor rock in our way. Ah!”
The conclusion of Brigham's observation was an abrupt shout of horror.
"What is the matter?" queried Harry.
"That light ahead of us!" cried Brigham."It gives mo a horrible suggestion. You re-member what we overheard the rascals saying about the proposed fate of Doctor Burton?"
"Certainly. Coulter's design was to have him burned accidentally. Good heavens! do you mean—"
"Yes, that's just what I mean," shouted Brigham excitedly. "I think the rascally tools of the Bishop have entered upon their terrible work. Faster! faster!"
Without another word the two men in-creased the speed of their horses to a regular break-neck gallop.
"It is the place!" soon cried Brigham. "The murder is being accomplished!"
"And see!" returned Harry, looking fixedly ahead. "The ruffians hear us coming!"
The ringing hoofs of the horses ridden by Harry and the Prophet had indeed attracted attention. A couple of men had come rush-ing out into the open space in front of the lonely mountain cabin.
"Back, gentlemen," suddenly called one of these men, levelling a revolver. "There is nothing here that concerns you. Halt!" Not the least attention was paid to these commands, unless it be that they caused the two horsemen to ride still faster. On like the wind sped the rescuers, and in another mo-ment they leaped from their panting steeds immediately in front of the blazing dwelling.
"Death and furies! it's Brigham himself!" cried one of the two men of the ranche, as they both lowered their weapons. "Caught! detected! The game is played out!"
Unheeding these cries, the Prophet rushed to the entrance of the hut, throwing the door wide open.
"Ah! my God!" was the wild exclamation that burst from him, as he looked into the hut, now crumbling under the fiery element. One instant he recoiled, as did Harry, who was close to his heels, and then they both leaped into the lint, in a cloud of smoke, and into the midst of a sea of flame. One instant more they tore at a helpless object, in human form, which lay inert on the floor, with its garments beginning to take fire, and then they toiled back into the open air, dragging this inert object with them.
The trio—the rescued and the rescuers—had scarcely emerged from the hut, when its whole flaming roof fell in, covering, as with a vast brazier of living coals, the spot where the doomed man had been lying.
"Saved! saved!" shouted the Prophet. "He's alive and uninjured!"
"But in what a fix!" returned Harry. "He's gagged and bound hand and foot."
"It's even so. But he's all right, I'm cer-tain. It only remains to free him."
This was instantly done, and the rescued mail stirred feebly, " at the same time giving utterance to inarticulate, panting murmurs.
"He doesn't know us," cried Harry. "This has been too much for him."
"No. He's all right, I tell you. There! he catches a good mouthful of air. The mist clears from his eyes. He knows us as well as we know him. Don't you, Doctor Burton ?"
"Yes—I do," was the broken answer. "You were just in time, Mr. Young; just in time, Harry."
The joyful interchange of greetings that followed can be easily imagined.
"And Mrs. Burton!—my wife!" cried the Doctor, the moment he had made his own situ-ation plain to his rescuers. "Where is she?"
"Safe and well," replied Harry. "We know where she is, and shall take you straight to her. The whole scheme of True and Coulter is crumbling, and you've nothing more to fear. Mr. Young here is posted as to all the machin-ations of which you and yours are the victims, and will see that your wrongs are righted."
"And Winnie? what of her?" cried the father anxiously.
A great cloud overspread Harry's face.
"We do not know just where she is," he de-clared. "But after the turn our affairs are all taking, we will not be so wicked as to despair of her safety."
"No, we will not," affirmed Dr. Burton, be-ginning to recover his long-lost equanimity. "I feel a conviction that all is to be well with us."
"And now to punish these villains," pro-posed Brigham, looking around. " They cer-tainly meant to—But where are they ?"
"They have gone, of course," said Harry, seeing that the space lately occupied by the ruffians was empty. "Who are they, Doctor Burton ?"
"A couple of ruffians in the service of True and Coulter, as I have learned from their own conversation, no less than from their actions," replied the physician. " They called them-selves Mink and Hawk."
"They belong to the Look-out gang," said Harry, turning to the Prophet.
"They ought to have gone the ways of their comrades, Bull and Bear; but it will be sufficient for our pur-pose if they are never seen again in the Salt Lake Valley."
"I reckon they'll take good care not to let me catch them," said Brigham. "You and the Doctor will have to ride double, Mr. Os-burn—"
"No: for those ruffians have left a horse here in the bushes—the one on which they brought me here," interrupted the physician.
"We are just provided for, then," said the Prophet. " Nothing could be better. Let's mount at once and push for Coulter's." "For Coulter's ?" echoed Dr. Burton.
"Yes; for your wife is there. You need not be alarmed, however. She is perfectly safe and comfortable, as we will proceed to explain to you by the way. Come."
In another minute the trio were mounted, and flying toward the city. And an hour and a half later, they drew rein in front of Bishop Coulter's dwelling, and the Prophet hastened to demand admittance.
The Bishop's man, Krebbling, soon made his appearance.
"The Bishop?" questioned the Prophet,
"He isn't just now at home, sir."
"I presumed as much," returned Brigham dryly. "I will therefore transact with you the little business in hand. In which room is Mrs. Burton at this moment?"
"Mrs. Burton, sir?" gasped the miscreant, becoming singularly pale.
"Yes, Mrs. Burton. In which room is she?"
For a single instant only the ruffian allowed the burning gaze of Brigham to read his own telltale glances.
"She—she is in the sitting-room, just back of the parlor," he then stammered.
"The information is good so far as it goes," commented the Prophet. "And now a word in your ear, Krebbling. The plans of Coulter have come to nothing. The Bishop himself is in a worse fix than a dead man. And since you have lent yourself so faithfully to his in-famy, I'll give you until daylight to take your final departure from this city. If I find you in town after that hour, I'll cage you for a term of years, my fine fellow, as sure as my name is Brigham. Go!"
He gave the villain a jerk, which took him through the door, and a kick which caused him to clear the steps of the dwelling at a bound. Then he turned to his companions.
"Come, my friends," he proposed. "Let us give Mrs. Burton her little surprise."
We draw a vail over the glad reunion that immediately followed.
CHAPTER XXX.
THE PLOTTERS CONFOUNDED—CONCLUSION.
Truth crushed to earth shall rise again,
The eternal years of God are hers;
While Error, wounded, writhes in pain,
And dies amidst its worshippers.
BRYANT.
It was getting late on the succeeding even-ing when Brigham and Harry, in pursuance of their agreement, took their way silently and secretly to the presence of the fourth Mrs. True, in her particular share of the Elder's many-doored dwelling. They were both as troubled as stern, for, with all their comings and goings, they had not been able to learn the whereabouts of Winnie.
There was no light in the small house, but Mrs. True met her guests at the door, welcom-ing them warmly, and leading them into her room, where she found them seats in the darkness.
"All is right so far," she whispered. "The Elder hasn't got back yet from his excursion. Shall we wait for Doctor and Mrs. Burton, or shall we go to the Elder's office directly?"
"It won't be safe to wait long," returned Brigham, in a low, cautious tone. "The time is at hand for the meeting. Hark! What is that?"
The three listened intently. The sound was of persons moving cau-tiously on the garden walk. It was followed by a low knocking on the door.
Mrs. True hastened to the door, and gave admittance to Dr. and Mrs. Burton. Harry and Brigham advanced to greet the new-comers, shaking hands with them warm-ly.
“The little drama in which you have been figuring so largely, Doctor, is about played out," said Brigham."Your troubles are about over. Now, if you are ready, and Sister True will lead the way, we will go to the Elder's own house."
The Doctor assented, and Mrs. True led her guests out through the rear apartment of her small dwelling into a large back garden, where shade trees grew.
Conducting the small party past the houses of the first three Mrs. Trues, the fourth Mrs. True arrived at the rear door of the Elder's private dwelling, unlocked it with a pass-key, and ushered her companions into the room in the rear of the office. Having tried the door leading into the office, ascertaining that it was not locked, Mrs. True placed seats for the others, and the party dis-posed themselves to wait.
Before many minutes had passed, a key was heard grating in the outer door, and Elder True stumbled into his office. He struck a light, removed his overcoat, and sat down with his face averted from the old chest, on which was heaped a pile of garments, con-cealing the ruin of the three stout locks, and, breathing heavily, he muttered:
"It's time the men were here. We must get to work if we intend to do anything to-night. I'm tired enough after my long ride, but I'm willing to go to work afresh if money's to be made by it. 'Beauty and booty,' as I told the Bishop, is my motter. Ha! there's the Bishop now."
He arose and opened his door, giving admit-tance to Bishop Coulter, who came in cloaked and half, disguised. There was a look of agi-tation on the Bishop's face, which immediately arrested True's attention.
"What's up ?" the Elder exclaimed. "Any-thing the matter?"
"A good deal's the matter," growled the Bishop. "The woman, Mrs. Burton, has fled from my house—escaped—gone!"
"You don't say so! Where has she gone?”
"How do I know?" snarled Coulter. "If I did know, wouldn't I have gone after her? She may have drowned herself, for all I know. She was in a state of mind to do it when I last saw her, last evening. The handsomest woman in the Terri-tory, too! But I'II have her back if she's alive, if I have to organize another band of men specially to search for her. I have sworn she shall be my wife, and I swear it again. If she lives, I will make her mine." In the darkness of the inner room, Doctor and Mrs. Burton pressed nearer together, clasping hands in all the rapture of their recovered hap-piness.
Unconscious that the woman whom he was de-termined to make his wife was within a few feet of him, and a listener to his declarations, Coulter raved of her perfections, and his anger and grief at her loss, and his determination to recover her. "She's all right, Bishop," said True, at length. "She's scoutin' among her Gentile friends, that's all. She'll be back to breakfast, you may depend on it. When you get her back, jest lock her up—that's my advice. That's what I did to my bud o'beauty, her gal."
The mother started, listening with her whole soul.
"I've been to see the gal this evenin'," resumed True. "Jest got back, in fact. Deuced hard ride, and I'm 'bout tired out." "Ride far?" asked the Bishop.
“To Church Island and back. The gal's on the island, in the care of Gotekin, the herder. She re-mains as obstinit as a mule—Who's that?”
Some one was knocking at the office door. The Elder bade the visitor enter, and that one of his allies known to the band as Tiger came rush-ing into the presence of the two confederates. The appearance of Tiger betokened extreme fright and terror. His hair was dishevelled, his garments disarranged, and he glanced over his shoulder as if fancying himself pursued. "What's the matter?" cried the Bishop and Elder in a breath. "Matter?" panted Tiger. "Everything's the matter. The Colonel's arrested."
"Who?"
"The Colonel, Captain, Lieutenant, or whatever you choose to call Mornington," was the response, as Tiger sank into a chair. "He was arrested to-day, and is now in the city prison. Hadn't you heard of it?"
"Not a word! Arrested! Mornington in prison!" The Bishop and the Elder stared blankly at each other.
"That an't all," said Tiger. "Adder, Buffaler, and Grizzly, that you sent to smoke out Mounting Jack last night, got smoked out of the world! Mounting Jack defended his property like a de-mon, and killed the three men—"
"Impossible!"
"I've seen the corpses!" asserted Tiger dog-gedly. "And Mounting Jack's cabin is standing, and he's ready to defend it ag'inst the hull tribe o'Dan, Elders and Bishops thrown in!" The loss of their three allies, however, produced less effect upon the Bishop and Elder than the pre-vious news. Their thoughts reverted to Morning-ton, the ready, unscrupulous villain who had lent himself to all their schemes, proving himself their most efficient aid.
"I am alarmed about this business of Morning-ton," said the Bishop, knitting his brows. "What was he arrested for?"
"Do' know," said Tiger.
"It must be," said Coulter, "that Brigham is on our trail." "No, you are wrong," cried True. "Brigham can have no suspicions of us. How can he have? I denied all the assertions of Osburn the other night. And Osburn is now out of the way, and Brigham must think the youngster has fled. Mornington wouldn't blow on us. No, no; it's all right. Mornington has been caught in some game of his own, and has got hauled up for it. We'll manage to get him off in due time. But our own plans must be carried out all the same!"
“Of course," assented the Bishop.
At this juncture another signal knock was heard on the door, and four members of Mornington's band, rough, villainous looking fellows, and known as Badger, Beaver, Grasshopper, and Beetle, en-tered the Elder's office.
The Bishop and the Elder surveyed them with considerable apparent bitterness.
"These five are all that are left of our formida-ble band!" said True, a shadow settling upon his coarse, sensual face—the shadow, perhaps, of im-pending defeat and retribution. "You all know how we got up the band, callin' ourselves Danites, jest because we found the name in good use, and as good a name for such a gang as any other. But what a time we've had! Only five of you left—"
"But we still live," interposed the Bishop, " and can get up another band as good as the old one. These five men will be the nucleus of the new band. There's no use in crying over spilt milk. Tears won't bring our dead comrades back. We can have a good time yet, boys!"
"Jest so!" the men muttered.
"I've got a job before us," continued the Bishop. "that will make all our fortunes! Our diminished numbers are greatly to the advantage of all of us in this business. The fewer of us there are in the affair, the fewer there will be to divide the reward.”
"That is so," said Tiger.
"I've planned out the business, made all the preparations, and greased the wheels, so to speak," declared the Bishop.
"You all know that Brigham Young is the largest, or one of the largest depositors in the Bank of England?"
"Yes, yes."
"You may not know that he has now in the vaults of the church treasury a half million dol-lars in gold?" said the Bishop. "But he has. I can lead you directly to the vaults. We have only to break in and seize the whole. How does this meet your approval?"
The five men, with brightening faces, hastened to assure Coulter that they were eager to engage in the proposed robbery. "Then we will set out for the vaults without delay. The money must be divided between us before daybreak. Is there one here who would like to withdraw from the business in hand? We want no faint hearts in a robbery like this. Speak! Is there one present who objects to the robbery?"
The door of the inner room swung slowly open, and Brigham Young stepped silently into the pres-ence of the conspirators.
"There is one present, Bishop," he said coolly,
"who objects most decidedly to the proposed rob-bery—"
"The—the President!" ejaculated Coulter wildly, reeling and tottering to his chair.
"Brig—Brigham!" gasped True, his face turn-ing blue, and his teeth chattering.
"The Prophet !" cried the five Danites, shrink-ing before the keen blaze of Brigham's eyes.
"Yes, it is I!" said Brigham calmly. " You don't look pleased to see me, my good Bishop, my worthy Elder! I have listened to your charming plans. I won't trouble you to explain or deny. I have been hidden in the inner room since before True's arri-val. You are unmasked, you double-dealers and hypocrites!"
A piercing howl of dismay came from True.
Coulter groaned aloud in his terror.
"I was present also at your interview of last night," said Brigham coolly. "I know that it was you, Bishop Coulter, who personated Doctor Bur-ton, perpetrating crimes the punishment of which you thought must fall upon him. I know the whole catalogue of your crimes. I know that you would have foully murdered Burton; but your schemes, thank God! have been frustrated. Doctor!"
At this summons, Doctor Burton and his wife, arm in arm, entered the office. Their happy faces, their very presence there, told the plotters that their power over the Burtons was gone for ever.
Coulter covered his face with his hands.
"As for you, Elder True," said Brigham, " Miss Burton shall be rescued in the morning—" A quick sullen gleam lit up the haggard face of Elder True.
"You can resky the gal," he said, "but you can't bring her lover to life!"
"Osburn!" called Brigham. Harry entered from the inner room, a little pale of visage, but bright and calm and self- possessed, as usual. The Elder gave a great cry at sight of him.
"Not dead! not dead!" he gasped, his glances straying to the great chest in the obscure further corner.
"Who rescued him ?"
"I did!" said Brigham—" I and another. You see that your schemes are all defeated, True. I shall pay to Doctor Burton, out of Coulter's money now in bank, the sum you stole from him! The ut-termost farthing shall be restored to him and his. His reputation shall be cleared at the expense of yours and Coulter's. As for you, you renegades and apostates, I haven't words to express my scorn of you. The Latter-day Church has enough to an-swer for, to the Gentile world, without having in it such reptiles as you. It is you, with your 'Dan-ites,' who bring contumely upon us. But your career is ended. You have danced; now you must pay the piper. You have run your career of crime; now will come your trial and punishment!"
He clapped his hands loudly, and a half-dozen officers of the law came hurrying in from the rear garden.
"Arrest these men!" commanded Brigham, pointing to Coulter and True. True leaped to his feet, a savage glow on his cheeks, a savage light in his eyes.
"It is you, Harry Osburn, who have brought all my reverses upon me!" he cried, with a wild oath.
"Sence I failed to make sure of your death last night, I'll do so now. Take that!"
He drew a revolver, presented it, and fired.
But rapid as his movements had been, Tiger had moved with equal celerity. The latter had sprung from his chair, bounded to True's side, and dashed aside the weapon.
The contents of the revolver, thus diverted, found lodgment in Coulter's breast.
With a shriek, he fell forward dying. At the same moment Badger, anxious, as Tiger had been, to curry favor with Brigham, fired at True, killing him instantly.
We will draw a vail over the tragic scene.
The events following the deaths of True and Coulter may be briefly stated.
Upon the following day, as Mountain Jack and Winnie, on their way from Church Island, were threading a lonely mountain road, uncertain where next to seek refuge, they encountered a farmer, who, inquiring if they had heard the news, informed them of the deaths of Coulter and True, and also that Dr. Burton's reputation had been cleared of every stain.
It is needless to say that Mountain Jack and Winnie turned their horses' steps to Salt Lake City.
They found Dr. and Mrs. Burton and Harry Osburn at the Burton Cottage, on the point of set-ting out for Church Island, and the scene that fol-lowed the arrival of the new-comers may be imagined. Brigham Young kept his word, and Dr. Burton’s stolen moneys were restored to him.
A month or so later, all the Gentile population of the Mormon capital were present at the wed-ding of Harry Osburn and Winnie Burton. Brig-ham Young was present, as also the fourth Mrs. True, who wore no mourning, and who privately declared to Mrs. Burton that she "had been but a sixth part of a wife, but delighted in feeling her-self wholly a widow."
The turn events had taken decided the Burtons and Osburns to remain at Salt Lake City. They are confident that polygamy cannot long survive the incoming tide of civilization and nineteenth-century progress; and, foreseeing that the great States and Territories west of the Rocky Mountains are destined to rival in prosperity and population the Atlantic States, they maintain their ground in Utah, and rank to-day as leaders of the fast in-creasing Christians who are known in Utah as "Gentiles." THE END.
