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Show CHAPTER XXVI ENSNARED WHEN I went home to supper I found Chilcott and Cora dining with Amanda. Chilcott was full of the conference with Major Van Vleit. He seasoned our dishes with spicy comments on Government soldiers in general and the MaJor m particular. He honestly thought that the Major should have agreed to hurry back and urge his commander to obey Brigham rather than the President. He followed with assertions that all the grass would soon be burned off in front of the troops, their cattle stampeded and captured, and their advance otherwise so hindered that they would be blockaded in the mountains, unable to reach the Valley. God was with Brigham. Therefore his people would win, not only the first contest, but every one to follow. Brigham had predicted the speedy triumph of the Saints. In the spring the Legion would first crush the troops and then march East to trample the accursed Gentiles. For the first time in my acquaintance with him I realized that the man was absolutely sincere in his faith. Though in all other respects a man of hard common sense and strong character, it was evident that he believed imJ?licJtly in Brigham. If the Prophet said that a thmg was right, it was right; if he promised crowns of glory for the slaying of apostates and Gentiles, then the slayers were justified and should become gods in Heaven. Brigham, I was now convinced, was a hypocrite who had been deceived by his own hypocrisy into more than half believing his claims of Prophethood. The fanaticism of others of the hierarchy was tainted >46 THE MORMON LION 247 with the same self-exalting hypocrisy. But Chilcott, at least, was an honest fanatic. When he had quite completed his tirade against the Gentiles, he recalled that the Prophet had honoured me with a private interview . . "~y the way, Dave," he inquired, "if Brigham d1dn t counsel you to keep your head shut on it, let's hear what he wanted to see you about after the rest of us left." Cora had been listening to her husband's vehement discourse with forced attentiveness. She now looked up at him and across at me with real interest. I caught her inquiring- glance, and hesitated. "Have another pwce of pie, David," said Amanda. "No, the big piece.-Well, how about it? Did the Prophet counsel silence ? " "No," I answered. "Out with it, then," ordered Chilcott. " He wished to counsel me with regard to the Sisters Senby," I explained. " What about them ? " queried Amanda. " He wants Dave to marry them " surmised Chilcott. ' " Yes," I confumed. "Well, I never! All three?" " Yes," I answered, anxiously watching Cora. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes feverishly brilliant. " All three, you say," ·commented Chilcott. "You'll be doing mighty well, Dave. You'll be making sure of exaltation, all at one 9.0·" " You forget," I reminded him. ' One of them is Brother Senby's for eternity, and the other two are yours, though released from you for time." "Well, it'll be accounted a crown of glory unto you just the same," he assured me. " It's not a bad bargain, anyway. The widows will bring you over eleve~ thousand dollars, after deducting the property- tithe. Are you all through? Let's go into the parlour while the women clear up." |
