Part II: The Country of Saints

The story flashes back to 1847 Utah, where John Ferrier and a little girl named Lucy, the only survivors of a large party of pioneers, lay down near a boulder to die from dehydration. They are discovered, however, by a large party ofMormons, led by Brigham Young and the sacred Council of Four, to the "promised land". They rescue them on the condition that they adopt the Mormon faith.

Having proven himself to be an able hunter, Ferrier is given a generous land grant with which to build his farm after the party constructsSalt Lake City. He and Lucy, now adopted by him, become famous around the city and surrounding areas. Years later, a now grown Lucy runs into a man named Jefferson Hope, and becomes friends with him. They soon become engaged to be married, scheduled after Hopes return from a three-month long journey for his job.

However, Ferrier is visited by Young, who reveals that it is against the religion for Lucy to marry Hope, a non-Mormon. He states that Lucy must marry one of the eligible sons belonging to the Council of Four, either Joseph Stangerson or Enoch Drebber, though Lucy may choose. Ferrier and his daughter are given a month to decide. Ferrier, who has long before that sworn to never marry his daughter to a Mormon, immediately sends out word to Hope for help. Ferrier is then visited by Stangerson and Drebber. Angered by the way that they argue over who deserves to marry Lucy, Ferrier throws them out.

Every day, however, the number of days Ferrier has left to marry off Lucy is painted somewhere on his farm in the middle of the night. Hope finally arrives on the eve of the last day, and sneaks his love and her adopted father out of their farm and Salt Lake City. However, while gone hunting for food, Hope returns to a horrific sight; a makeshift grave for the elder Ferrier, and Lucy nowhere to be seen.

Back in London, Holmes, Watson, and the two Scotland Yarders take a willing Hope to the police station. He asks if he can tell his story, as he has an aortic aneurism and fears he will die before his trial. He reveals that he snuck back into the city, and learned from an acquaintance that Lucy had been forcibly married to Drebber, who had more supporters in a hearing between him and Stangerson, Ferriers murderer, over who would marry her. They also had put out a warrant for Hopes capture. He had returned to the mountains, swearing vengeance.

Lucy died a month later from a broken heart; Drebber, inheriting Ferriers farm, was unaffected. Hope snuck into his house the night before Lucys funeral to kiss her and remove her wedding ring. He then began stalking the town, coming close to killing Drebber and Stangerson on numerous occasions.

However, his health began to fail him and he left the mountains to earn money and recuperate. He returned about a year later, and learned that Drebber and Stangerson, out of fear for their lives, had left Salt Lake City. He searched the US until he finally found them in Cincinnati; the pair then fled to Europe, eventually landing in London.

In London, Hope became a cabby, and eventually found Drebber and Stangerson at the train station in Euston, about to depart to Liverpool. Having missed the first train, Drebber instructs Stangerson to wait for him at the hotel, and then returns to Madame Charpentiers House. He is attacked by her son, and after escaping, he gets drunk at a liquor store. He is picked up by Hope, and is lead to the house on Brixton Road, which Drebber drunkenly enters with Hope. He then forces Drebber to remember who he is, and forces him to take a pill out of a small box, allowing God to choose which one dies, for one was harmless and the other poison. Grabbing the poison one, as Drebber dies Hope shows him Lucys wedding ring. The excitement coupled with his aneurism had caused his nose to bleed; he used it to write RACHE on the wall above Drebber.

He realized, upon returning to his cab, that he had forgotten Lucys ring; but upon returning to the house, he found Constable Rance and other police officers, whom he evaded by acting drunk. He then had a friend pose as an old lady to pick up the supposed ring from Holmess advertisement.

He then began stalking Stangersons room at the hotel; but Stangerson, on learning of Drebbers murder, refused to come out. He climbed into the room through the window, and gave Stangerson the same choice of pills; he was, however, attacked by Stangerson and forced to stab him in the heart.

After being told of this, Holmes and Watson return to Baker Street; Hope dies from his aneurism the night before his trial, a smile on his face. One morning, Holmes reveals to Watson how he had deduced the identity of the murderer and how he had used the Irregulars to search for a cabby by that name. He then shows Watson the newspaper; Lestrade and Gregson are given full credit. Outraged, Watson states that Holmes should record the adventure and publish it; upon Holmess refusal, Watson decides to do it himself.