large/8902/a_study_in_scarlet_1406_librivox_64kb_mp3/studyinscarlet_12_doyle_64kb_79
large/8902/a_study_in_scarlet_1406_librivox_64kb_mp3/studyinscarlet_12_doyle_64kb
English
8902
There was no mistaking it for anything but a newly dug grave. As the young hunter approached it, he perceived that a stick had been planted on it, with a sheet of paper stuck in the cleft fork of it. The inscription upon the paper was brief, but to the point: JOHN FERRIER, FORMERLY OF SALT LAKE CITY, Died August 4th, 1860. The sturdy old man, whom he had left so short a time before, was gone, then, and this was all his epitaph. THERE WAS NO MISTAKING IT FOR ANYTHING BUT A NEWLY DUG GRAVE AS THE YOUNG HUNTER APPROACHED IT HE PERCEIVED THAT A STICK HAD BEEN PLANTED ON IT WITH A SHEET OF PAPER STUCK IN THE CLEFT FORK OF IT THE INSCRIPTION UPON THE PAPER WAS BRIEF BUT TO THE POINT JOHN FERRIER FORMERLY OF SALT LAKE CITY DIED AUGUST FOURTH EIGHTEEN SIXTY THE STURDY OLD MAN WHOM HE HAD LEFT SO SHORT A TIME BEFORE WAS GONE THEN AND THIS WAS ALL HIS EPITAPH
had embraced them all, and yet had left no traces behind it. Bewildered and stunned by this blow, Jefferson Hope felt his head spin round, and had to lean upon his rifle to save himself from falling. He was essentially a man of action, however, and speedily recovered from his temporary impotence. Seizing a half-consumed piece of wood from the smouldering fire, he blew it into a flame, and proceeded with its help to examine the little camp. The ground was all stamped down by the feet of horses, showing that a large party of mounted men had overtaken the fugitives, and the direction of their tracks proved that they had afterwards turned back to Salt Lake City. Had they carried back both of his companions with them? Jefferson Hope had almost persuaded himself that they must have done so, when his eye fell upon an object which made every nerve of his body tingle within him. A little way on one side of the camp was a low-lying heap of reddish soil, which had assuredly not been there before. E A DISASTER WHICH HAD EMBRACED THEM ALL AND YET HAD LEFT NO TRACES BEHIND IT BEWILDERED AND STUNNED BY THIS BLOW JEFFERSON HOPE FELT HIS HEAD SPIN ROUND AND HAD TO LEAN UPON HIS RIFLE TO SAVE HIMSELF FROM FALLING HE WAS ESSENTIALLY A MAN OF ACTION HOWEVER AND SPEEDILY RECOVERED FROM HIS TEMPORARY IMPOTENCE SEIZING A HALF CONSUMED PIECE OF WOOD FROM THE SMOULDERING FIRE HE BLEW IT INTO A FLAME AND PROCEEDED WITH ITS HELP TO EXAMINE THE LITTLE CAMP THE GROUND WAS ALL STAMPED DOWN BY THE FEET OF HORSES SHOWING THAT A LARGE PARTY OF MOUNTED MEN HAD OVERTAKEN THE FUGITIVES AND THE DIRECTION OF THEIR TRACKS PROVED THAT THEY HAD AFTERWARDS TURNED BACK TO SALT LAKE CITY HAD THEY CARRIED BACK BOTH OF HIS COMPANIONS WITH THEM JEFFERSON HOPE HAD ALMOST PERSUADED HIMSELF THAT THEY MUST HAVE DONE SO WHEN HIS EYE FELL UPON AN OBJECT WHICH MADE EVERY NERVE OF HIS BODY TINGLE WITHIN HIM A LITTLE WAY ON ONE SIDE OF THE CAMP WAS A LOW LYING HEAP OF REDDISH SOIL WHICH HAD ASSUREDLY NOT BEEN THERE BEFORE
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