"We come from the city of Gideon," said one of the guards of the prisoner, in answer to the questions, "we have in charge Korihor, the anti-Christ, who seeks to destroy religion and subvert all government; we"—
"Thou liest, almost as well as a high priest," broke in the prisoner; "I seek but to root out of men's minds the false traditions of the fathers concerning God and Christ, and to make them free! I only"—
"You will do well," quietly replied he whom he had interrupted, "to make your defense before the High Priest and Chief Judge of the city, and not before your own and the city guards." Then turning to the guards of the gate he continued: "We have brought Korihor from the city of Gideon where he was tried"—
"For his virtues," broke in the prisoner.—
—"for his offenses," continued the guard, not heeding the interruption, "but the Chief Judge at Gideon hath sent him to the Chief Judge of the whole land in this city, to hear his case, and he"—
"And God's High Priest," spoke up the prisoner, "I charge thee, guard, leave not out the holy prophet, I long to meet in sharp contest the vicegerent on earth of your Christ that is to be—'according to the holy prophets.'"
"Well, then, we seek the High Priest and Chief Judge before whom this man is to be tried," said the guard, evidently vexed with the mocking tone of the scoffer.
"Pass on," said the guard at the gate: "Com," said he to his companion, "conduct these men to the Judgment Hall, give their prisoner to the keeper of the prison, then direct them to the house of the chief judge; I shall wait until you return; and I pray God that this bold man may be silenced, for before now he hath disturbed the quiet of our city not a little."
As the party passed through the massive gateway, Korihor turned to look back at the guard, and raising his voice, said to the crowd which had gathered there rather than to the one whom he addressed, "Guard, tell your good people as they pass in and out of the city, that Korihor, their friend, who would see them free, is in bonds for liberty's sake, and is soon to be tried before an imperious High Priest and a tyrant judge, for honest disbelief in the foolish traditions of their fathers—tell them this, and ask them if the time has came when all men must be slaves to superstition!" There was an instant buzz of excitement in the crowd, for Korihor was not unknown in Zarahemla. A few months before he had been through that city and had spoken boldly against the prophets and the traditions respecting the coming and Atonement of Christ. Since then he had been traveling through the land of Jershon among the people of Ammon, there he met with little success; for that people bound him and banished him from their lands. From thence he went into the land of Gideon where he sought, as in other places, to stir up sedition. He was brought before the High Priest and Chief Judge of that city, and they being in doubt as to what they ought to do with him, bound him and sent him to the High Priest over the whole church, and to the Chief Judge of the whole land, both of whom resided in the city of Zarahemla.