The eyes of the night were there alone to see. It was as well. There are moments in men's lives when it is best that it should be so. Passions are not always sane1. They are not always human.
So it was with Jeffrey Masters. The change in him had been rapid. It was almost magical. Always one who lacked something of the softer human qualities, he yet must have been counted a man of balance. If sympathy, sentiment, were never his strong points, he was by no means lacking in loyalty2, kindliness3, rightness of purpose. All his life, achievement, achievement under the strictest canons of honesty, or moral scruple4, had been the motive5 urging him. He had seen neither to the right nor to the left of these things.
Then had come the woman into his life and the lighting6 of those natural fires which belong to all human life. He yielded to them, and the suddenness of it all seemed to sweep away every cooler method which had always governed him. There had been no thought, no calculation in his yielding, such as might have been expected. He was the victim of his own temperament7. His powerful restraint had been suddenly relaxed. And, for the time, he had been completely overwhelmed by the intensity8 of his passion.
But this passion for the woman who had so suddenly entered his life was merely the opening of vials of emotion hitherto held sealed. It was no radical10 transformation11. All that had been his before still remained, buried perhaps for the moment under the avalanche12 of feeling, but nevertheless still occupying its place. These things could not be swept away. They could not be destroyed. They would remain when the passionate13 fires had completely burned themselves out.
But the unlooked-for had happened. These fires had not been permitted to burn themselves out. They had been extinguished, deluged14 out of existence when the idol15 of his worship was flung headlong from its pedestal by the complete revolt of his moral being. His prejudices, his instincts, matured through years of effort, were the stronger part of him, and the conflict was decided16 before it began. The shock of discovery had brought a terrible reaction. His love was killed under the blow. And though for a while the sense of overwhelming disaster had been crushing, the measure of that disaster was taken swiftly. It left him disillusioned17, it left him harder, colder. But it left him sane.
These things were not all, however. On this night he had approached far nearer the hell which only a woman can create for a man than his first discovery had borne him. The irony18 of it was perfect. Out of her great love for him, solely19 in his interest, in a great desire to shield him from a danger she saw threatening him, she had contrived20 to convince him that she had been as ready to sacrifice him, his interests, the interests of his friends, as she had been to accept the price offered for the blood of his twin brother.
So the eyes of the night looked down upon the haunting figure of a man who knew neither mercy, nor pity, nor hope. The world of human happiness had closed its doors upon him, and his whole spirit and body demanded a fierce retaliation21.
That was the mood which looked out of his coldly shining eyes. That was the mood which drove the horse under him at a headlong gait, and left his spurs blood-stained upon his heels. That was the mood that left him caring nothing for any danger that might lurk22 under cover of the starlit dark of night. The fierceness of his temper demanded outlet23. Bodily outlet. Active conflict. Anything, so that a burning lust24 for hurt should be satisfied. He cared nothing at all for himself. No bodily suffering could compare with the anguish25 of mind he had passed through, was still passing through. And so he rode headlong till the youth accompanying him was hard put to it to keep pace with him.
The hammering of the horses' hoofs26 upon the sun-baked earth was a fitting accompaniment to his mood. The sigh of the night breezes through the trees was no less desolate27 than his heart. Nor was the darkness one whit28 more dark than the stream of thought which flowed through his hot brain.
Not one word did he exchange with the man behind him. In truth the youth who had brought the summons had no part in the thing that was happening, at least not in Jeffrey Masters' mind. There was no one besides himself in this. There was just himself and his goal--whatever that might bring forth--with a wild, almost insane desire to act fiercely and without mercy should opportunity offer.
The land rose and fell, from hill to valley, from valley to hill. The way lay through avenues of bluff-lined grass, or across hollows of virgin29 pasture. Trickling30 mountain streams barred the way, only to be passed without a thought of their depth, or the dangers of their treacherous31, sodden32 banks. The mountain barrier ahead, looming33 darkly forbidding in the starlight, with its mazing34 hollows and woodland crowns, was incapable35 of inspiration at the moment. There are moments when Nature's profoundest awe36 is powerless to affect the mind of man. These were such moments. The whole mind of Jeffrey Masters was absorbed till there was no room for any influence which did not arise out of the burden of his bitterness.
But if he were indifferent to his surroundings, the man riding hard behind him moved with eyes and ears fully37 alert. That which he was seeking would have been impossible to tell. Nevertheless every shadow seemed to possess interest, every night sound to possess some quality worth remarking. Not for an instant, after the hills had been entered, did his vigilance relax.
Spruce Crossing lay deep in the hills, a clearing to the south of the junction38 of converging39 mountain streams. It was a mere9 cattle station, neither better nor worse than several others lying on the outskirts40 of the Obar territory. Yet it was important that it headed a valley running north and south amongst the hills, where the grass was sweet, and rich, and fattening41, one of those surprise natural pastures which the hills love to yield occasionally to those who seek out their wealth.
A glimmer42 of light, like some distant star fallen to earth from its velvet43 setting above, marked the station, house. It was visible at a great distance down the flat stretch of the valley. The ranchman's horse was headed directly for it, and the animal moved readily, eagerly now, nor were the spurs needed to urge him further. The instinct of its journey's end was sufficient to encourage its flagging spirits.
The distant light grew brighter. It took on the rectangular form of a window opening in a log-built hut.
Jeffrey Masters had fixed44 his gaze upon it, and so the shadowy scene about him passed all unnoticed. He saw nothing of the darker objects lying on the ground adjacent to his way. The slumbering45 kine which bore his brand remained all unheeded. He had no thought for them. His course took him over a track which passed down a land between two fenced pastures. These, too, were stocked with fattening steers46, or with the brood cows and their attendant calves47. At another time, under other conditions, these things would have held for him an absorbing interest. Now they concerned him not at all.
The dark pastures gave place to a number of corrals, also lost in the summer night. A dog barked. Then, in a moment, its sharp yelps48 became silent, and the stillness became once more unbroken except for the hard pounding hoofs of the two horsemen approaching.
A few moments later these sounds ceased as the dark outline of the station house itself took shape.
For a few seconds Jeff gazed at the window opening where the light from within was still shining. A sound had caught and held his attention. It came from within the hut, and there was no mistaking it. It was the sound inspired by physical suffering, and the voice that uttered it was a man's. He sprang out of the saddle and turned to hand his horse to the man who had accompanied him. But he found himself standing49 alone.
With a shrug50 of the shoulders he left his horse and turned at once to the hut. Just for an instant he hesitated once more. It was his thought to look in through the window. The hesitation51 passed. The next moment he passed along the lateral52 log walls to the far end of the building where he knew the door to be situated53.
The door was closed. He placed his hand on the heavy wooden latch54. A second passed. He glanced over his shoulder. It had occurred to him to wonder at the sudden going of the youth who had accompanied him.
But there was neither sight nor sound of the vanished youth. He raised the latch and swung the door open.
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1
sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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3
kindliness
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| n.厚道，亲切，友好的行为 | |
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scruple
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| n./v.顾忌，迟疑 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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7
temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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radical
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| n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的 | |
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transformation
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| n.变化；改造；转变 | |
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avalanche
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| n.雪崩，大量涌来 | |
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13
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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14
deluged
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| v.使淹没( deluge的过去式和过去分词 )；淹没；被洪水般涌来的事物所淹没；穷于应付 | |
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15
idol
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| n.偶像，红人，宠儿 | |
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16
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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17
disillusioned
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| a.不再抱幻想的，大失所望的，幻想破灭的 | |
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18
irony
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| n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄 | |
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19
solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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21
retaliation
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| n.报复，反击 | |
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22
lurk
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| n.潜伏，潜行；v.潜藏，潜伏，埋伏 | |
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23
outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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24
lust
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| n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望 | |
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25
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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26
hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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27
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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28
whit
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| n.一点，丝毫 | |
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virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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30
trickling
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| n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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31
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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32
sodden
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| adj.浑身湿透的；v.使浸透；使呆头呆脑 | |
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33
looming
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| n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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34
mazing
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| 使困惑（maze的现在分词形式） | |
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35
incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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36
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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37
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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38
junction
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| n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站 | |
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39
converging
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| adj.收敛[缩]的，会聚的，趋同的v.（线条、运动的物体等）会于一点( converge的现在分词 )；（趋于）相似或相同；人或车辆汇集；聚集 | |
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40
outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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41
fattening
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| adj.（食物）要使人发胖的v.喂肥( fatten的现在分词 )；养肥（牲畜）；使（钱）增多；使（公司）升值 | |
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42
glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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43
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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44
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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45
slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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46
steers
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| n.阉公牛，肉用公牛( steer的名词复数 )v.驾驶( steer的第三人称单数 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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47
calves
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| n.(calf的复数)笨拙的男子，腓；腿肚子( calf的名词复数 )；牛犊；腓；小腿肚v.生小牛( calve的第三人称单数 )；（冰川）崩解；生（小牛等），产（犊）；使（冰川）崩解 | |
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48
yelps
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| n.（因痛苦、气愤、兴奋等的）短而尖的叫声( yelp的名词复数 )v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的第三人称单数 ) | |
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49
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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50
shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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51
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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52
lateral
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| adj.侧面的，旁边的 | |
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53
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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54
latch
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| n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁 | |
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