Max Brand

The Night Horseman Max Brand

"Here's a gent that calls himself a doc," said Hank Dwight by way of an introduction. "If you canuse him, Miss Cumberland, fly to it!"And he left them alone. Now the sun lay directly behind Kate Cumberland and in order to look at her closely the doctor hadto shade his weak eyes and pucker his brows; for from beneath her wide sombrero there rolled acloud of golden hair as bright as the sunshine itself-a sad strain upon the visual nerve of DoctorRandall Byrne. He repeated her name, bowed, and when he straightened, blinked again. As if sheappreciated that strain upon his eyes she stepped closer, and entered the shadow."Doctor Hardin is not in town," she said, "and I have to bring a physician out to the ranch at once;my father is critically ill."Randall Byrne rubbed his lean chin."I am not practicing at present," he said reluctantly. Then he saw that she was watching him closely, weighing him with her eyes, and it came to the mind of Randall Byrne that he was not a large manand might not incline the scale far from the horizontal."I am hardly equipped-" began Byrne."You will not need equipment," she interrupted. "His trouble lies in his nerves and the state of hismind."A slight gleam lighted the eyes of the doctor."Ah," he murmured. "The mind?""Yes."He rubbed his bloodless hands slowly together, and when he spoke his voice was sharp and quickand wholly impersonal. "Tell me the symptoms!"