Алая чума

           OnewasMungerson,descendedfromtheMagnates,whowanderedaloneinthewildsofNorthernCaliforniaforeightyearsbeforehecamesouthandjoinedus. Heitwaswhowaitedtwelveyearsmorebeforehemarriedmydaughter,Mary. TheotherwasJohnson,themanwhofoundedtheUtahTribe. Thatwaswherehecamefrom,Utah,acountrythatliesveryfarawayfromhere,acrossthegreatdeserts,totheeast. Itwasnotuntiltwenty-sevenyearsaftertheplaguethatJohnsonreachedCalifornia. InallthatUtahregionhereportedbutthreesurvivors,himselfone,andallmen. Formanyyearsthesethreemenlivedandhuntedtogether,until,atlast,desperate,fearingthatwiththemthehumanracewouldperishutterlyfromtheplanet,theyheadedwestwardonthepossibilityoffindingwomensurvivorsinCalifornia. Johnsonalonecamethroughthegreatdesert,wherehistwocompanionsdied. Hewasforty-sixyearsoldwhenhejoinedus,andhemarriedthefourthdaughterofIsadoreandHale,andhiseldestsonmarriedyouraunt,Hare-Lip,whowasthethirddaughterofVestaandtheChauffeur. Johnsonwasastrongman,withawillofhisown. AnditwasbecauseofthisthathesecededfromtheSantaRosansandformedtheUtahTribeatSanJosé. Itisasmalltribe—thereareonlynineinit; but,thoughheisdead,suchwashisinfluenceandthestrengthofhisbreed,thatitwillgrowintoastrongtribeandplayaleadingpartintherecivilizationoftheplanet. 

           “Thereareonlytwoothertribesthatweknowof—theLosAngelitosandtheCarmelitos.