child! He would not be the only parent, who, blinded by this
abominable delusion, has similarly sacrificed upon the unhallowed altar
of Mormondom. Of this melancholy fact Marian was not ignorant. Her
unhappy journey across the great plains had revealed to her many a
strange incident--many a wicked phase of the human heart.

All agreed that Lilian must be taken from the Mormons, either by force
or by stealth. It must be done, too, before they could reach the Salt
Lake city. Once upon the banks of the Transatlantic Jordan, these
pseudo-saints would be safe from the interference of their most powerful
enemies. There the deed of abduction would be no longer possible; or,
if still possible, _too late_. Was it practicable elsewhere--upon the
route? And how was it to be effected? These were the questions that
occupied us. There were but three men of us: for the Irishman, now
completely _hors de combat_, must be left behind. True, the
huntress-maiden, who had declared her determination to accompany us,
might well be counted as a fourth; in all four guns. But what would
four guns avail against more than ten times the number? Wingrove had
learnt from the wretched Chicasaw that there were a hundred men with the
Mormon train. It was idle, therefore, to think of carrying her off by
force. That would have been sheer quixotism--only to end fatally for
all of us.

And was it not equally idle to dream of an abduction by stealth?
Verily, it seemed so. How were we to approach this Mormon host? How
enter their camp, guarded as it would be by the jealous vigilance of
lynx-eyed villains? By day, it would be impossible; by night,
hazardous, and equally impracticable would be our purpose. We could not
join company with these clannish emigrants, without offering some
excuse. What pretext could be put forward? Had we been strangers to
them, we might have availed ourselves of some plausible story; but,
unfortunately, it was not so. All of us, except Sure-shot, would be
known to their leader. My presence, however unexpected, would at once
proclaim my purpose to the keen-witted knave; and as for Marian Holt,
hers would be a position of positive danger--even equalling that in
which her sister was now placed. Stebbins could _claim_ her--if not by
a true husband's right, at least by the laws of Mormon matrimony; and of
course by those laws would the case be judged in a Mormon camp--the
apostle himself being their interpreter!