For five days he toiled footsore and weary through the defiles which he had already traversed on horseback. At night he flung himself down among the rocks, and snatched a few hours of sleep; but before daybreak he was always well on his way. On the sixth day, he reached the Eagle Canon, from which they had commenced their ill-fated flight. Thence he could look down upon the home of the Saints. Worn and exhausted, he leaned upon his rifle and shook his gaunt hand fiercely at the silent widespread city beneath him. As he looked at it, he observed that there were flags in some of the principal streets, and other signs of festivity. He was still speculating as to what this might mean when he heard the clatter of horse’s hoofs, and saw a mounted man riding towards him. As he approached, he recognized him as a Mormon named Cowper, to whom he had rendered services at different times. He therefore accosted him when he got up to him, with the object of finding out what Lucy Ferrier’s fate had been.

五日間 / 彼は疲れた体と痛む足で苦労して渓谷を越えた / 馬の背に乗って一度横断してきていた◆夜になると彼は岩間にばたんと横になり / 数時間睡眠をとった / しかし夜明け前に彼は必ず前進を始めた◆六日目 / 彼はイーグル峡谷にたどり着いた / そこから彼らが不幸な運命の逃避を開始した◆そこから彼は聖者たちの故郷を見下ろすことができた◆ボロボロになり疲れきって / 彼はライフルにもたれかかり / 彼は足元に大きく広がる静かな街に痩せた手を猛烈に振った◆彼がそこを見ると / 主要道路の幾つかに旗が立っているのに気づいた / そして他の祭典の印も◆彼はまだこれがどういう意味かを考えあぐねていた / その時馬の蹄がカチャカチャいう音が聞こえた / そして馬に乗った男が彼の方にやって来るのが見えた◆彼は近づいて / クーパーという名前のモルモン教とだと分かった / この男に彼は何度か力を貸した事があった◆彼はそのために近づいてきた時に声をかけた / ルーシー・フェリアーの運命がどうなったかを調べる目的で

“I am Jefferson Hope,” he said. “You remember me.”

「俺はジェファーソン・ホープだ」 / 彼は言った◆「覚えているだろう」

The Mormon looked at him with undisguised astonishment – indeed, it was difficult to recognize in this tattered, unkempt wanderer, with ghastly white face and fierce, wild eyes, the spruce young hunter of former days. Having, however, at last satisfied himself as to his identity, the man’s surprise changed to consternation.

モルモン教徒は彼を見てあからさまに驚いた / / 実際 / 見分けるのは難しかった / このボロボロの服を着てボサボサの頭の放浪者が / 幽霊のように真っ白な顔に激しく獰猛な目をした / かつてのしゃれた身なりの若き狩人とは◆しかし、遂に彼の身元が納得できると / この男の驚きは狼狽に変わった

“You are mad to come here,” he cried. “It is as much as my own life is worth to be seen talking with you. There is a warrant against you from the Holy Four for assisting the Ferriers away.”

「ここへ来るなんて気でも狂ったか」 / 彼は叫んだ◆「お前と話しているところを見られたら命に係わる◆お前には令状が出ている / 聖四人からフェリアー家を逃がす手伝いをした件で」

“I don’t fear them, or their warrant,” Hope said, earnestly. “You must know something of this matter, Cowper. I conjure you by everything you hold dear to answer a few questions. We have always been friends. For God’s sake, don’t refuse to answer me.”

「俺はそんな奴らは怖くない / そいつらの令状も」 / ホープは真剣に言った◆「お前はこの件について何か知っているはずだ◆お前が大切だと思う事全てにかけて質問に答えてくれ◆俺たちはずっと友達だった◆お願いだ / 返事を拒まんでくれ」

“What is it?” the Mormon asked, uneasily. “Be quick. The very rocks have ears and the trees eyes.”

「何だ？」 / モルモン教徒は尋ねた / 不安そうに◆「急いでくれ◆岩に耳あり木に目ありだ」

“What has become of Lucy Ferrier?”

「ルーシー・フェリアーに何が起きた？」

“She was married yesterday to young Drebber. Hold up, man, hold up; you have no life left in you.”

「昨日ドレバーの息子と結婚した◆しっかりしろ / おい / しっかりしろ / 生気が全然ないぞ」

“Don’t mind me,” said Hope faintly. He was white to the very lips, and had sunk down on the stone against which he had been leaning. “Married, you say?”

「俺のことはかまうな」 / ホープは弱々しく言った◆彼は唇まで真っ青になり / 彼がもたれ掛かっていた岩にへたり込んだ◆「結婚と言ったな？」

“Married yesterday – that’s what those flags are for on the Endowment House. There was some words between young Drebber and young Stangerson as to which was to have her. They’d both been in the party that followed them, and Stangerson had shot her father, which seemed to give him the best claim; but when they argued it out in council, Drebber’s party was the stronger, so the Prophet gave her over to him. No one won’t have her very long though, for I saw death in her face yesterday. She is more like a ghost than a woman. Are you off, then?”

「昨日結婚した / / それであの旗が教会の上にあるんだ◆ドレバーの息子とスタンガーソンの息子の間で言い合いがあった / どちらが彼女と結婚するかで◆両方とも彼らの追跡隊にいて / スタンガーソンが彼女の父親を撃った / これで彼に一番資格があると思われたが / しかし彼らが評議会で議論したとき / ドレバー側の仲間が強く / 預言者は彼に彼女を渡した◆しかし誰であっても長くはもたないだろう / 昨日彼女の顔には死相があった◆彼女は人間の女というより幽霊に似ていた◆それじゃ、行くのか？」

“Yes, I am off,” said Jefferson Hope, who had risen from his seat. His face might have been chiselled out of marble, so hard and set was its expression, while its eyes glowed with a baleful light.

「そうだ、行く」 / ジェファーソン・ホープは言った / 彼は腰をかけていたところから立ち上がっていた◆彼の顔は大理石を彫ったかのように / 堅く硬直した表情をしていた / 目には復讐の光が燃え立っていた

“Where are you going?”

「どこに行くつもりだ？」

“Never mind,” he answered; and, slinging his weapon over his shoulder, strode off down the gorge and so away into the heart of the mountains to the haunts of the wild beasts. Amongst them all there was none so fierce and so dangerous as himself.

「気にするな」 / 彼は答えた / そして / 銃を肩に吊るすと / 峡谷を降りて山の奥深くに入っていった / 野獣がウロウロする場所へと◆それら全ての中で / 彼自身ほど獰猛で危険なものはなかった