g, you
murmured that he once was like that always. It gave me light. So I'd
say that there was a time when Dan Barry lived here with you and your
father. Am I right?"

"Yes, for years and years."

"And in those times he was not greatly different from other men. Not on
the surface."

"No."

"You came to be very fond of him."

"We were to marry," answered Kate Cumberland, and Byrne winced.

He went on: "Then something happened--suddenly--that took him away from
you, and you did not see him again until to-night. Am I right?"

"Yes. I thought you must have heard the story--from the outside. I'll
tell you the truth. My father found Dan Barry wandering across the hills
years ago. He was riding home over the range and he heard a strange and
beautiful whistling, and when he looked up he saw on the western ridge,
walking against the sky, a tattered figure of a boy. He rode up and
asked the boy his name. He learned it was Dan Barry--Whistling Dan, he
was called. But the boy could not, or would not, tell how he came to be
there in the middle of the range without a horse. He merely said that he
came from 'over there,' and waved his hand to the south and east. That
was all. He didn't seem to be alarmed because he was alone, and yet he
apparently knew nothing of the country; he was lost in this terrible
country where a man could wander for days without finding a house, and
yet the boy was whistling as he walked! So Dad took him home and sent
out letters all about--to the railroad in particular--to find out if
such a boy was missing.

"He received no answer. In the meantime he gave Dan a room in the house;
and I remember how Dan sat at the table the first night--I was a very
little girl then--and how I laughed at his strange way of eating. His
knife was the only thing he was interested in and he made it serve for
knife, fork, and spoon, and he held the meat in his fingers while he cut
it. The next morning he was missing. One of Dad's range riders picked up
Dan several miles to the north, walking along, whistling gayly. The next
morning he was missing again and was caught still farther away. After
that Dad had a terrible scene with him--I don't know exactly what
happened--but Dan promised to run away no more, and ever since then Dad
has been closer to Dan than anyone else.

"So Dan grew up. From the time I could first distinctly remember, he was
very gentle and good-natured, but he was different, always. After a
while he go