The Night Horseman

DOCTOR BYRNE ANALYSES

In the room which had been assigned to his use Doctor Randall Byrne sat down to an unfinished letter and began to write.

“Dinner has interrupted me, my dear Loughburne.  I have dined opposite Miss Cumberland—­only the two of us at a great table—­with a wide silence around us—­and the Chinese cook padding to and fro from the kitchen.  Have I told you of that room?  No, I believe that I have made no more than casual mention of my environment here, for reasons which are patent.  But to-night I wished that you might look in upon the scene.  Along the walls hang a rope with which Mr. Cumberland won a roping and tieing contest in his youth—­a feat upon which he prides himself highly; at another place hang the six-shooters of a notorious desperado, taken from his dead body; there is the sombrero of a Mexican guerilla chief beside the picture of a prize bull, and an oil painting of Mr. Cumberland at middle age adjoins an immense calendar on which is portrayed the head of a girl in bright colours—­a creature with amazing quantities of straw-coloured hair.  The table itself is of such size that it is said all the guests at a round-up—­a festival of note in these barbaric regions—­can be easily seated around it.  On one side of this table I sat—­and on the other side sat the girl, as far away as if an entire room had separated us.

“Before going down to the meal I had laid aside my glasses, for I have observed that spectacles, though often beneficial to the sight, are not always equally commendable in the opinion of women; and it should assuredly be one’s endeavour to become agreeable to those about us.

“Be it noted at this point, my dear Loughburne, that I have observed peculiar properties in the eyes of Miss Cumberland.  Those of all other humans and animals that have fallen under my observance were remarkable only for their use in seeing, whereas the eyes of Miss Cumberland seem peculiarly designed to be seen.  This quality I attribute to the following properties of the said eyes.  First, they are in size well beyond the ordinary.  Secondly, they are of a colour restful to behold.  It is, indeed, the colour of the deep, blue evening sky into which one may stare for an incalculable distance.

“As I have said, then, I noted a glow in these eyes, though they were so immediately lowered that I could not be sure.  I felt, however, an extraordinary warmth beneath my collar, the suffusion of blood passing swiftly towards my forehead.  I inquired if she had smiled and for what reason; whereat she immediately assured me that she had not, and smiled while making the assurance.

“I was now possessed of an unusual agitation, augmented by the manner in which Miss Cumberland looked at me out of twinkling but not unkindly eyes.  What could have caused this perturbation I leave to your scientific keenness in analysis.

“I discovered an amazing desire to sing, which indecorous impulse I, of course, immediately inhibited and transferred the energy into conversation.

“‘The weather,’ said I. ‘has been uncommonly delightful to-day.’

“I observed that Miss Cumberland greeted this sentence with another smile.

“Presently she remarked:  ‘It has seemed a bit windy to me.’

“I recalled that it is polite to agree with ladies and instantly subjoined with the greatest presence of mind:  ’Quite right!  A most abominably stormy day!’

“At this I was astonished to be greeted by another burst of laughter, even more pronounced than the others.

“‘Doctor Byrne,’ she said, ‘you are absolutely unique.’

“‘It is a point,’ I said earnestly, ’which I shall immediately set about to change.’

“At this she raised both hands in a gesture of protest, so that I could observe her eyes shining behind the slender, brown fingers—­observe, Loughburne, that white skin is falsely considered a thing of beauty in women—­and she remarked, still laughing:  ‘Indeed, you must not change!’

“I replied with an adroit change of front:  ‘Certainly not.’

“For some mysterious reason the girl was again convulsed and broke off her laughter to cry in a voice of music which still tingles through me:  ‘Doctor Byrne, you are delightful!’

“I should gladly have heard her say more upon this point, but it being one which I could not gracefully dispute with her, and being unwilling that she should lapse into one of her usual silences, I ventured to change the subject from myself to her.

“‘Miss Cumberland,’ I said, ’I remark with much pleasure that the anxiety which has recently depressed you seems now in some measure lessened.  I presume Mr. Daniels will be successful in his journey, though what the return of Mr. Daniels accompanied by Mr. Barry can accomplish, is, I confess, beyond my computation.  Yet you are happier in the prospect of Mr. Barry’s return?’

“I asked this question with a falling heart, though I remain ignorant of the cause to which I can attribute my sudden depression.  Still more mysterious was the delight which I felt when the girl shook her head slowly and answered:  ‘Even if he comes, it will mean nothing.’

“I said:  ‘Then let us intercept him and send him back!’

“She cried out, as if I had hurt her:  ‘No, no, no!’ and twisted her fingers together in pain.  She added at once:  ‘What of poor Dad?’

“‘Your father,’ I confessed, ‘had for the moment slipped my mind.’

“It seemed to me, however, that it was not wholly on her father’s account that she was grieved.  She wished Mr. Barry to return, and yet she dreaded his coming.  It was most mysterious.  However, I had started Miss Cumberland thinking.  She stopped eating and began to stare before her.  Presently she said:  ’It is strange that we don’t hear from Buck.  What can have held him so long?’

“I regretted extremely that I had introduced the topic and cast about in my mind for another, but could not find one.  I then expressed regret that I had revived her worries, but received in reply a smile in which there was no life:  the very colour had died out from her cheeks.  And she sat during the rest of the meal without speaking a word.

“Afterwards I went in with her to see Mr. Cumberland.  His condition was not materially changed.  The marvel of it grows upon me more and more.  It is a freak which defies medical science.  There lies a man at the point of dissolution.  His body has died of old age, and yet the life principle remains.  He does not eat—­at least, the nourishment he takes is wholely negligible.  But he still has energy.  To be sure, he rarely moves about and his body remains practically inert.  But we must never forget that the mind is a muscle and calls for continual rebuilding.  And the mind of Mr. Cumberland is never inactive.  It works ceaselessly.  It will not permit him to sleep.  For three days, now, as far as I can tell, he has not closed his eyes.  It might be assumed that he is in a state of trance, but by a series of careful experiments, I have ascertained that he is constantly thinking in the most vigourous fashion.

“What does it mean?  There is in the man a flame-like quality; something is burning in him every instant.  But on what does the flame feed?  I know that material cannot be created and that energy means dissolution of matter:  but why does not the life of Joseph Cumberland dissolve?

“The subject possesses me.  I dare not ponder it too steadily or my brain begins to whirl.  I make no progress towards any reasonable solution.  I only feel that I am living in the presence of an astounding mystery.

“Strange thoughts possess me.  What is the fire that burns but does not consume Joe Cumberland?  What is the thing in the wandering Dan Barry which Kate Cumberland fears and yet waits for?  Why was it that Daniels trembled with dread when he started out to find a man who, by his own profession, he holds to be his best friend?

“You see how the mystery assumes shape?  It is before me.  It is in my hand.  And yet I cannot grasp its elements.

“The story of a man, a horse, and a dog.  What is the story?

“To-day I wandered about the great corrals and came to one which was bounded by a fence of extraordinary height.  It was a small corral, but all the posts were of great size, and the rails were as large as ordinary posts.  I inquired what strange beasts could be kept in such a pen, and the man-of-all-work of whom I asked replied:  ’That’s Satan’s corral.’

“I guessed at some odd story.  ‘The devil?’ I cried, ’Do they fence the devil in a corral?’

“‘Oh, ay,’ said the fellow, ’he’s a devil, right enough.  If we’d let him run with the other hosses he’d have cut ’em to ribbons.  That’s what kind of a devil he is!’

“A story of a man, a horse, and a dog.  I think I have seen the great chain which bound the dog.  Was that the place where they kept the horse?

“And, if so, what bonds are used for the man?  And what sort of man can he be?  One of gigantic size, no doubt, to mate his horse and his dog.  A fierce and intractable nature, for otherwise Kate Cumberland could not dread him.  And yet a man of singular values, for all this place seems to wait for his return.  I catch the fire of expectancy.  It eats into my flesh.  Dreams haunt me night and day.  What will be the end?

“Now I am going down to see Mr. Cumberland again.  I know what I shall see—­the flickering of the fire behind his eyes.  The lightning glances, the gentle, rare voice, the wasted face; and by him will be Kate Cumberland; and they both will seem to be listening, listening—­for what?

“No more to-night.  But, Loughburne, you should be here; I feel that the like of this has never been upon the earth.

“Byrne.”