the night-born-第11节

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that　he　spent　much　of　his　time　in　sport。　And　they　were　right；

though　they　never　would　have　dreamed　of　the　nature　of　the

sport；　even　if　they　had　seen　him　running　coyotes　in

night…chases　over　the　hills　of　Mill　Valley。　Neither　were　the

schooner　captains　believed　when　they　reported　seeing；　on　cold

winter　mornings；　a　man　swimming　in　the　tide…rips　of　Raccoon

Straits　or　in　the　swift　currents　between　Goat　island　and　Angel

Island　miles　from　shore。



In　the　bungalow　at　Mill　Valley　he　lived　alone；　save　for　Lee

Sing；　the　Chinese　cook　and　factotum；　who　knew　much　about　the

strangeness　of　his　master；　who　was　paid　well　for　saying

nothing；　and　who　never　did　say　anything。　After　the　satisfaction

of　his　nights；　a　morning's　sleep；　and　a　breakfast　of　Lee

Sing's；　James　Ward　crossed　the　bay　to　San　Francisco　on　a　midday

ferryboat　and　went　to　the　club　and　on　to　his　office；　as　normal

and　conventional　a　man　of　business　as　could　be　found　in　the

city。　But　as　the　evening　lengthened；　the　night　called　to　him。

There　came　a　quickening　of　all　his　perceptions　and　a

restlessness。　His　hearing　was　suddenly　acute；　the　myriad

night…noises　told　him　a　luring　and　familiar　story；　and；　if

alone；　he　would　begin　to　pace　up　and　down　the　narrow　room　like

any　caged　animal　from　the　wild。



Once；　he　ventured　to　fall　in　love。　He　never　permitted　himself

that　diversion　again。　He　was　afraid。　And　for　many　a　day　the

young　lady；　scared　at　least　out　of　a　portion　of　her　young

ladyhood；　bore　on　her　arms　and　shoulders　and　wrists　divers

black…and…blue　bruisestokens　of　caresses　which　he　had

bestowed　in　all　fond　gentleness　but　too　late　at　night。　There

was　the　mistake。　Had　he　ventured　love…making　in　the　afternoon；

all　would　have　been　well；　for　it　would　have　been　as　the　quiet

gentleman　that　he　would　have　made　lovebut　at　night　it　was　the

uncouth；　wife…stealing　savage　of　the　dark　German　forests。　Out

of　his　wisdom；　he　decided　that　afternoon　love…making　could　be

prosecuted　successfully；　but　out　of　the　same　wisdom　he　was

convinced　that　marriage　as　would　prove　a　ghastly　failure。　He

found　it　appalling　to　imagine　being　married　and　encountering

his　wife　after　dark。



So　he　had　eschewed　all　love…making；　regulated　his　dual　life；

cleaned　up　a　million　in　business；　fought　shy　of　match…making

mamas　and　bright…eyed　and　eager　young　ladies　of　various　ages；

met　Lilian　Gersdale　and　made　it　a　rigid　observance　never　to　see

her　later　than　eight　o'clock　in　the　evening；　run　of　nights

after　his　coyotes；　and　slept　in　forest　lairsand　through　it

all　had　kept　his　secret　safe　save　Lee　Sing　。　。　。　and　now；　Dave

Slotter。　It　was　the　latter's　discovery　of　both　his　selves　that

frightened　him。　In　spite　of　the　counter　fright　he　had　given　the

burglar；　the　latter　might　talk。　And　even　if　he　did　not；　sooner

or　later　he　would　be　found　out　by　some　one　else。



Thus　it　was　that　James　Ward　made　a　fresh　and　heroic　effort　to

control　the　Teutonic　barbarian　that　was　half　of　him。　So　well

did　he　make　it　a　point　to　see　Lilian　in　the　afternoons；　that

the　time　came　when　she　accepted　him　for　better　or　worse；　and

when　he　prayed　privily　and　fervently　that　it　was　not　for　worse。

During　this　period　no　prize…fighter　ever　trained　more　harshly

and　faithfully　for　a　contest　than　he　trained　to　subdue　the　wild

savage　in　him。　Among　other　things；　he　strove　to　exhaust　himself

during　the　day；　so　that　sleep　would　render　him　deaf　to　the　call

of　the　night。　He　took　a　vacation　from　the　office　and　went　on

long　hunting　trips；　following　the　deer　through　the　most

inaccessible　and　rugged　country　he　could　findand　always　in

the　daytime。　Night　found　him　indoors　and　tired。　At　home　he

installed　a　score　of　exercise　machines；　and　where　other　men

might　go　through　a　particular　movement　ten　times；　he　went

hundreds。　Also；　as　a　compromise；　he　built　a　sleeping　porch　on

the　second　story。　Here　he　at　least　breathed　the　blessed　night

air。　Double　screens　prevented　him　from　escaping　into　the　woods；

and　each　night　Lee　Sing　locked　him　in　and　each　morning　let　him

out。



The　time　came；　in　the　month　of　August；　when　he　engaged

additional　servants　to　assist　Lee　Sing　and　dared　a　house　party

in　his　Mill　Valley　bungalow。　Lilian；　her　mother　and　brother；

and　half　a　dozen　mutual　friends；　were　the　guests。　For　two　days

and　nights　all　went　well。　And　on　the　third　night；　playing

bridge　till　eleven　o'clock；　he　had　reason　to　be　proud　of

himself。　His　restlessness　fully　hid；　but　as　luck　would　have　it；

Lilian　Gersdale　was　his　opponent　on　his　right。　She　was　a　frail

delicate　flower　of　a　woman；　and　in　his　night…mood　her　very

frailty　incensed　him。　Not　that　he　loved　her　less；　but　that　he

felt　almost　irresistibly　impelled　to　reach　out　and　paw　and　maul

her。　Especially　was　this　true　when　she　was　engaged　in　playing　a

winning　hand　against　him。



He　had　one　of　the　deer…hounds　brought　in　and；　when　it　seemed　he

must　fly　to　pieces　with　the　tension；　a　caressing　hand　laid　on

the　animal　brought　him　relief。　These　contacts　with　the　hairy

coat　gave　him　instant　easement　and　enabled　him　to　play　out　the

evening。　Nor　did　anyone　guess　the　while　terrible　struggle　their

host　was　making；　the　while　he　laughed　so　carelessly　and　played

so　keenly　and　deliberately。



When　they　separated　for　the　night；　he　saw　to　it　that　he　parted

from　Lilian　in　the　presence　or　the　others。　Once　on　his　sleeping

porch　and　safely　locked　in；　he　doubled　and　tripled　and　even

quadrupled　his　exercises　until；　exhausted；　he　lay　down　on　the

couch　to　woo　sleep　and　to　ponder　two　problems　that　especially

troubled　him。　One　was　this　matter　of　exercise。　It　was　a

paradox。　The　more　he　exercised　in　this　excessive　fashion；　the

stronger　he　became。　While　it　was　true　that　he　thus　quite　tired

out　his　night…running　Teutonic　self；　it　seemed　that　he　was

merely　setting　back　the　fatal　day　when　his　strength　would　be

too　much　for　him　and　overpower　him；　and　then　it　would　be　a

strength　more　terrible　than　he　had　yet　known。　The　other　problem

was　that　of　his　marriage　and　of　the　stratagems　he　must　employ

in　order　to　avoid　his　wife　after　dark。　And　thus；　fruitlessly

pondering；　he　fell　asleep。



Now；　where　the　huge　grizzly　bear　came　from　that　night　was　long

a　mystery；　while　the　people　of　the　Springs　Brothers'　Circus；

showing　at　Sausalito；　searched　long　and　vainly　for　〃Big　Ben；

the　Biggest　Grizzly　in　Captivity。〃　But　Big　Ben　escaped；　and；

out　of　the　mazes　of　half　a　thousand　bungalows　and　country

estates；　selected　the　grounds　of　James　J。　Ward　for　visitation。

The　self　first　Mr。　Ward　knew　was　when　he　found　him　on　his　feet；

quivering　and　tense；　a　surge　of　battle　in　his　breast　and　on　his

lips　the　old　war…chant。　From　without　came　a　wild　baying　and

bellowing　of　the　hounds。　And　sharp　as　a　knife…thrust　through

the　pandemonium　came　the　agony　of　a　stricken　doghis　dog；　he

knew。



Not　stopping　for　slippers；　pajama…clad；　he　burst　through　the

door　Lee　Sing　had　so　carefully　locked；　and　sped　down　the　stairs

and　out　into　the　night。　As　his　naked　feet　struck　the　graveled

driveway；　he　stopped　abruptly；　reached　under　the　steps　to　a

hiding…place　he　knew　well；　and　pulled　forth　a　huge　knotty

clubhis　old　companion　on　many　a　mad　night　adventure　on　the

hills。　The　frantic　hullabaloo　of　the　dogs　was　coming　nearer；

and；　swinging　the　club；　he　sprang　straight　into　the　thickets　to

meet　it。



The　aroused　household　assembled　on　the　wide　veranda。　Somebody

turned　on　the　electric　lights；　but　they　could　see　nothing　but

one　another's　frightened　faces。　Beyond　the　brightly　illuminated

driveway　the　trees　formed　a　wall　of　impenetrable　blackness。　Yet

somewhere　in　that　blackness　a　terrible　struggle　was　going　on。

There　was　an　infernal　outcry　of　animals；　a　great　snarling　and

growling；　the　sound　of　blows　being　struck　and　a　smashing　and

crashing　of　underbrush　by　heavy　bodies。



The　tide　of　battle　swept　out　from　among　the　trees　and　upon　the

driveway　just　beneath　the　onlookers。　Then　they　saw。　Mrs。

Gersdale　cried　out　and　clung　fainting　to　her　son。　Lilian；

clutching　the　railing　so　spasmodically　that　a　bruising　hurt　was

left　in　her　finger…ends　for　days；　gazed　horror…stricken　at　a

yellow…haired；　wild…eyed　giant　whom　she　recognized　as　the　man

who　was　to　be　her　husband。　He　was　swinging　a　great　club；　and

fighting　furiously　and　calmly　with　a　shaggy　monster　that　was

bigger　than　any　bear　she　had　ever　seen。　One　rip　of　the　beast's

claws　had　dragged　away　Ward's　pajama…coat　and　streaked　his

flesh　with　blood。



While　most　of　Lilian　Gersdale's　fright　was　for　the　man　beloved；

there　was　a　large　portion　of　it　due　to　the　man　himself。　Never

had　she　dreamed　so　formidable　and　magnificent　a　savage　lurked

under　the　starched　shirt　and　conventional　garb　of　her

betrothed。　And　never　had　she　had　any　conception　of　how　a　man

battled。　Such　a　battle　was　certainly　not　modern；　nor　was　she

there　beholding　a　modern　man；　though　she　did　not　know　it。　For

this　was　not　Mr。　James　J。　Ward；　the　San　Francisco　business　man；

but　one；　unnamed　and　unknown；