Part 4 (1/2)
”They are the _Danites_.”
”Wal I'm jest as wise as ever, Josh. Dod rot it, man! don't be mystiferous. Who air the Danites, I shed like to know?”
”You can only know them by initiation; and you _should_ know them.
You're just the man to be one of them; and I have no doubt you'd be made one, as soon as you joined us.”
The apostle paused, as if to note the effect of his words; but the colossal hunter appeared as if he had not heard them. It was not that he did not comprehend their meaning, but rather because he was not heeding what had been said--his mind being occupied with a presentiment of some more unpleasant proposal held in reserve by his visitor. He remained silent, however; leaving it to the latter to proceed to the declaration of his design. The suspicions of the squatter--if directed to anything connected with his family affairs--were well grounded, and soon received confirmation. After a pause, the Mormon continued:
”No, Hickman Holt, it aint with _you_ my business lies to-day--that is, not exactly with you.”
”Who, then?”
”_Your daughter_!”
CHAPTER SEVEN.
THE MORMON'S DEMAND.
A shudder pa.s.sed through the herculean frame of the hunter--though it was scarcely perceptible, from the effort he made to conceal it. It was noticed for all that; and the emotion that caused it perfectly understood. The keen eye of the _ci-devant_ law clerk was too skilled in reading the human countenance, to be deceived by an effort at impa.s.sibility.
”My daughter?” muttered Holt, half interrogatively.
”Your daughter!” echoed the Mormon, with imperturbable coolness.
”But which o' 'em? Thur's two.”
”Oh! you know which I mean--Marian, of course.”
”An' what do ye want wi' Marian, Josh?”
”Come, Brother Holt? it's no use your feigning ignorance. I've spoken to you of this before: you know well enough what I want with her.”
”Durn me, if I do! I remember what ye sayed afore; but I thort ye wur only jokin'.”
”I was in earnest then, Hickman Holt; and I'm still more in earnest now.
I want a wife, and I think Marian would suit me admirably. I suppose you know that the saints have moved off from Illinois, and are now located beyond the Rocky Mountains?”
”I've heern somethin' o't.”
”Well, I propose going thereto join them; and I must take a wife with me: for no man is welcome who comes there without one.”
”Y-e-s,” drawled the squatter, with a bitter smile, ”an' from what I've heern, I reckon he'd be more welk.u.m if he fetched half-a-dozen.”
”Nonsense, Hickman Holt. I wonder a man of your sense would listen to such lies. It's a scandal that's been scattered abroad by a set of corrupt priests and Methody preachers, who are jealous of us, because we're drawing their people. Sheer wicked lies, every word of it!”
”Wal, I don't know about that. But I know one thing, to a sartinty--you will niver get Marian's consent.”
”I don't want Marian's consent--that don't signify, so long as I have yours.”
”Myen?”