A beleaguered country physician speaks with frantic urgency about a midnight summons to treat a young patient. The scene quickly becomes surreal when 'unearthly steeds' carry him instantly to the bedside. Distracted by personal grievances toward those he is obliged to care for, he cannot locate the hidden, lethal wound that proves fatal. The villagers mock him, saying they always expect miracles from the doctor, and he is condemned to an endless return journey that strips him of everything of his hopes and livelihood.
