the night-born- 第4部分

saidsolid　and　stolid；　the　Oxshuffling　around　and　waiting　on

the　tables。



〃'You　need　a　wife　to　help　you；'　I　said。



〃'I　had　one　once；'　was　his　answer。



〃'Widower？'



〃'Yep。　She　went　loco。　She　always　said　the　heat　of　the　cooking

would　get　her；　and　it　did。　Pulled　a　gun　on　me　one　day　and　ran

away　with　some　Siwashes　in　a　canoe。　Caught　a　blow　up　the　coast

and　all　hands　drowned。'〃



Trefethan　devoted　himself　to　his　glass　and　remained　silent。



〃But　the　girl？〃　Milner　reminded　him。



〃You　left　your　story　just　as　it　was　getting　interesting；

tender。　Did　it？〃



〃It　did；〃　Trefethan　replied。　〃As　she　said　herself；　she　was

savage　in　everything　except　mating；　and　then　she　wanted　her　own

kind。　She　was　very　nice　about　it；　but　she　was　straight　to　the

point。　She　wanted　to　marry　me。



〃'Stranger；'　she　said；　'I　want　you　bad。　You　like　this　sort　of

life　or　you　wouldn't　be　here　trying　to　cross　the　Rockies　in

fall　weather。　It's　a　likely　spot。　You'll　find　few　likelier。　Why

not　settle　down！　I'll　make　you　a　good　wife。'



〃And　then　it　was　up　to　me。　And　she　waited。　I　don't　mind

confessing　that　I　was　sorely　tempted。　I　was　half　in　love　with

her　as　it　was。　You　know　I　have　never　married。　And　I　don't　mind

adding；　looking　back　over　my　life；　that　she　is　the　only　woman

that　ever　affected　me　that　way。　But　it　was　too　preposterous；

the　whole　thing；　and　I　lied　like　a　gentleman。　I　told　her　I　was

already　married。



〃'Is　your　wife　waiting　for　you？'　she　asked。



〃I　said　yes。



〃'And　she　loves　you？'



〃I　said　yes。



〃And　that　was　all。　She　never　pressed　her　point。　。　。　except

once；　and　then　she　showed　a　bit　of　fire。



〃'All　I've　got　to　do；'　she　said；　'is　to　give　the　word；　and　you

don't　get　away　from　here。　If　I　give　the　word；　you　stay　on。　。　。

But　I　ain't　going　to　give　it。　I　wouldn't　want　you　if　you　didn't

want　to　be　wanted。　。　。　and　if　you　didn't　want　me。'



〃She　went　ahead　and　outfitted　me　and　started　me　on　my　way。



〃'It's　a　darned　shame；　stranger；〃　she　said；　at　parting。　'I　like

your　looks；　and　I　like　you。　If　you　ever　change　your　mind；　come

back。'



〃Now　there　was　one　thing　I　wanted　to　do；　and　that　was　to　kiss

her　good…bye；　but　I　didn't　know　how　to　go　about　it　nor　how　she

would　take　it。I　tell　you　I　was　half　in　love　with　her。　But　she

settled　it　herself。



〃'Kiss　me；'　she　said。　'Just　something　to　go　on　and　remember。'



〃And　we　kissed；　there　in　the　snow；　in　that　valley　by　the

Rockies；　and　I　left　her　standing　by　the　trail　and　went　on　after

my　dogs。　I　was　six　weeks　in　crossing　over　the　pass　and　coming

down　to　the　first　post　on　Great　Slave　Lake。〃



The　brawl　of　the　streets　came　up　to　us　like　a　distant　surf。　A

steward；　moving　noiselessly；　brought　fresh　siphons。　And　in　the

silence　Trefethan's　voice　fell　like　a　funeral　bell：



〃It　would　have　been　better　had　I　stayed。　Look　at　me。〃



We　saw　his　grizzled　mustache；　the　bald　spot　on　his　head；　the

puff…sacks　under　his　eyes；　the　sagging　cheeks；　the　heavy

dewlap；　the　general　tiredness　and　staleness　and　fatness；　all

the　collapse　and　ruin　of　a　man　who　had　once　been　strong　but　who

had　lived　too　easily　and　too　well。



〃It's　not　too　late；　old　man；〃　Bardwell　said；　almost　in　a

whisper。



〃By　God！　I　wish　I　weren't　a　coward！〃　was　Trefethan's　answering

cry。　〃I　could　go　back　to　her。　She's　there；　now。　I　could　shape

up　and　live　many　a　long　year。　。　。　with　her。　。　。　up　there。　To

remain　here　is　to　commit　suicide。　But　I　am　an　old

manforty…sevenlook　at　me。　The　trouble　is；〃　he　lifted　his

glass　and　glanced　at　it；　〃the　trouble　is　that　suicide　of　this

sort　is　so　easy。　I　am　soft　and　tender。　The　thought　of　the　long

day's　travel　with　the　dogs　appalls　me；　the　thought　of　the　keen

frost　in　the　morning　and　of　the　frozen　sled…lashings　frightens

me〃



Automatically　the　glass　was　creeping　toward　his　lips。　With　a

swift　surge　of　anger　he　made　as　if　to　crash　it　down　upon　the

floor。　Next　came　hesitancy　and　second　thought。　The　glass　moved

upward　to　his　lips　and　paused。　He　laughed　harshly　and　bitterly；

but　his　words　were　solemn：



〃Well；　here's　to　the　Night…Born。　She　WAS　a　wonder。〃







THE　MADNESS　OF　JOHN　HARNED



I　TELL　this　for　a　fact。　It　happened　in　the　bull…ring　at　Quito。

I　sat　in　the　box　with　John　Harned；　and　with　Maria　Valenzuela；

and　with　Luis　Cervallos。　I　saw　it　happen。　I　saw　it　all　from

first　to　last。　I　was　on　the　steamer　Ecuadore　from　Panama　to

Guayaquil。　Maria　Valenzuela　is　my　cousin。　I　have　known　her

always。　She　is　very　beautiful。　I　am　a　Spaniardan　Ecuadoriano；

true；　but　I　am　descended　from　Pedro　Patino；　who　was　one　of

Pizarro's　captains。　They　were　brave　men。　They　were　heroes。　Did

not　Pizarro　lead　three　hundred　and　fifty　Spanish　cavaliers　and

four　thousand　Indians　into　the　far　Cordilleras　in　search　of

treasure？　And　did　not　all　the　four　thousand　Indians　and　three

hundred　of　the　brave　cavaliers　die　on　that　vain　quest？　But

Pedro　Patino　did　not　die。　He　it　was　that　lived　to　found　the

family　of　the　Patino。　I　am　Ecuadoriano；　true；　but　I　am　Spanish。

I　am　Manuel　de　Jesus　Patino。　I　own　many　haciendas；　and　ten

thousand　Indians　are　my　slaves；　though　the　law　says　they　are

free　men　who　work　by　freedom　of　contract。　The　law　is　a　funny

thing。　We　Ecuadorianos　laugh　at　it。　It　is　our　law。　We　make　it

for　ourselves。　I　am　Manuel　de　Jesus　Patino。　Remember　that　name。

It　will　be　written　some　day　in　history。　There　are　revolutions

in　Ecuador。　We　call　them　elections。　It　is　a　good　joke　is　it

not？what　you　call　a　pun？



John　Harned　was　an　American。　I　met　him　first　at　the　Tivoli

hotel　in　Panama。　He　had　much　moneythis　I　have　heard。　He　was

going　to　Lima；　but　he　met　Maria　Valenzuela　in　the　Tivoli　hotel。

Maria　Valenzuela　is　my　cousin；　and　she　is　beautiful。　It　is

true；　she　is　the　most　beautiful　woman　in　Ecuador。　But　also　is

she　most　beautiful　in　every　countryin　Paris；　in　Madrid；　in

New　York；　in　Vienna。　Always　do　all　men　look　at　her；　and　John

Harned　looked　long　at　her　at　Panama。　He　loved　her；　that　I　know

for　a　fact。　She　was　Ecuadoriano；　truebut　she　was　of　all

countries；　she　was　of　all　the　world。　She　spoke　many　languages。

She　sangah！　like　an　artiste。　Her　smilewonderful；　divine。

Her　eyesah！　have　I　not　seen　men　look　in　her　eyes？　They　were

what　you　English　call　amazing。　They　were　promises　of　paradise。

Men　drowned　themselves　in　her　eyes。



Maria　Valenzuela　was　richricher　than　I；　who　am　accounted　very

rich　in　Ecuador。　But　John　Harned　did　not　care　for　her　money。　He

had　a　hearta　funny　heart。　He　was　a　fool。　He　did　not　go　to

Lima。　He　left　the　steamer　at　Guayaquil　and　followed　her　to

Quito。　She　was　coming　home　from　Europe　and　other　places。　I　do

not　see　what　she　found　in　him；　but　she　liked　him。　This　I　know

for　a　fact；　else　he　would　not　have　followed　her　to　Quito。　She

asked　him　to　come。　Well　do　I　remember　the　occasion。　She　said：



〃Come　to　Quito　and　I　will　show　you　the　bullfightbrave；

clever；　magnificent！〃



But　he　said：　〃I　go　to　Lima；　not　Quito。　Such　is　my　passage

engaged　on　the　steamer。〃



〃You　travel　for　pleasureno？〃　said　Maria　Valenzuela；　and　she

looked　at　him　as　only　Maria　Valenzuela　could　look；　her　eyes

warm　with　the　promise。



And　he　came。　No；　he　did　not　come　for　the　bull…fight。　He　came

because　of　what　he　had　seen　in　her　eyes。　Women　like　Maria

Valenzuela　are　born　once　in　a　hundred　years。　They　are　of　no

country　and　no　time。　They　are　what　you　call　goddesses。　Men　fall

down　at　their　feet。　They　play　with　men　and　run　them　through

their　pretty　fingers　like　sand。　Cleopatra　was　such　a　woman　they

say；　and　so　was　Circe。　She　turned　men　into　swine。　Ha！　ha！　It　is

trueno？



It　all　came　about　because　Maria　Valenzuela　said：



〃You　English　people　arewhat　shall　I　say？savageno？　You

prize…fight。　Two　men　each　hit　the　other　with　their　fists　till

their　eyes　are　blinded　and　their　noses　are　broken。　Hideous！　And

the　other　men　who　look　on　cry　out　loudly　and　are　made　glad。　It

is　barbarousno？〃



〃But　they　are　men；〃　said　John　Harned；　〃and　they　prize…fight　out

of　desire。　No　one　makes　them　prize…fight。　They　do　it　because

they　desire　it　more　than　anything　else　in　the　world。〃



Maria　Valenzuelathere　was　scorn　in　her　smile　as　she　said：

〃They　kill　each　other　oftenis　it　not　so？　I　have　read　it　in

the　papers。〃



〃But　the　bull；〃　said　John　Harned。



〃The　bull　is　killed　many　times　in　the　bull…fight；　and　the　bull

does　not　come　into　the　the　ring　out　of　desire。　It　is　not　fair

to　the　bull。　He　is　compelled　to　fight。　But　the　man　in　the

prize…fightno；　he　is　not　compelled。〃



〃He　is　the　more　brute　therefore；〃　said　Maria　Valenzuela。



〃He　is　savage。　He　is　primitive。　He　is　animal。　He　strikes　with

his　paws　like　a　bear　from　a　cave；　and　he　is　ferocious。　But　the

bull…fightah！　You　have　not　seen　the　bullfightno？　The

toreador　is　clever。　He　must　have　skill。　He　is　modern。　He　is

romantic。　He　is　only　a　man；　soft　and　tender；　and　he　faces　the

wild　bull　in　conflict。　And　he　kills　with　a　sword；　a　slender

sword；　with　one