herewastheplankbridgewithitsonerottenboard；andheretheflatovergrownwithmanzanita，whereheoncehadshotthreequail。
　　Atnoon，afterhehadbeentrampingforsometwohours，hehaltedatapointwheretheroaddippedsuddenly。Alittletotherightofhim，andflankingtheroad，anenormousyellowgravel-pitlikeanemptiedlakegapedtoheaven。
　　Fartheron，inthedistance，acanyonzigzaggedtowardthehorizon，ruggedwithpine-cladmountaincrests。Nearerathand，anddirectlyinthelineoftheroad，wasanirregularclusterofunpaintedcabins。Adull，prolongedroarvibratedintheair。McTeaguenoddedhisheadasifsatisfied。
　　“That’stheplace，“hemuttered。
　　Hereshoulderedhisblanketrollanddescendedtheroad。Atlasthehaltedagain。Hestoodbeforealowone-storybuilding，differingfromtheothersinthatitwaspainted。
　　Averandah，shutinwithmosquitonetting，surroundedit。
　　McTeaguedroppedhisblanketrollonalumberpileoutside，andcameupandknockedattheopendoor。Someonecalledtohimtocomein。
　　McTeagueentered，rollinghiseyesabouthim，notingthechangesthathadbeenmadesincehehadlastseenthisplace。Apartitionhadbeenknockeddown，makingonebigroomoutofthetwoformersmallones。Acounterandrailingstoodinsidethedoor。Therewasatelephoneonthewall。Inonecornerhealsoobservedastackofsurveyor’sinstruments；abigdrawing-boardstraddledonspindlelegsacrossoneendoftheroom，amechanicaldrawingofsomekind，nodoubttheplanofthemine，unrolleduponit；achromorepresentingacoupleofpeasantsinaploughedfieldMillet’s“Angelus“wasnailedunframeduponthewall，andhangingfromthesamewirenailthatsecuredoneofitscornersinplacewasabullionbagandacartridgebeltwithaloadedrevolverinthepouch。
　　Thedentistapproachedthecounterandleanedhiselbowsuponit。Threemenwereintheroom——atall，leanyoungman，withathickheadofhairsurprisinglygray，whowasplayingwithahalf-growngreatDanepuppy；anotherfellowaboutasyoung，butwithajawalmostassalientasMcTeague’s，stoodattheletter-presstakingacopyofaletter；athirdman，alittleolderthantheothertwo，waspotteringoveratransit。Thislatterwasmassivelybuilt，andworeoverallsandlowbootsstreakedandstainedandspottedineverydirectionwithgraymud。Thedentistlookedslowlyfromonetotheother；thenatlength，“Istheforemanabout？“heasked。
　　Themaninthemuddyoverallscameforward。
　　“Whatyouwant？“
　　HespokewithastrongGermanaccent。
　　TheoldinvariableformulacamebacktoMcTeagueontheinstant。
　　“What’stheshowforajob？“
　　AtoncetheGermanforemanbecamepreoccupied，lookingaimlesslyoutofthewindow。Therewasasilence。
　　“Youhevbeenmineralretty？“
　　“Yes，yes。“
　　“Knowhowtohendlepick’nshov’le？“
　　“Yes，Iknow。“
　　Theotherseemedunsatisfied。“Areyoua’cousinJack’？“
　　Thedentistgrinned。ThisprejudiceagainstCornishmenherememberedtoo。
　　“No。American。“
　　“Howlongsenceyoumine？“
　　“Oh，yearortwo。“
　　“Showyourhends。“McTeagueexhibitedhishard，callusedpalms。
　　“Whenkenyougotowork？Iwantachuck-tenderondernight-shift。“
　　“Icantendachuck。I’llgoonto-night。“
　　“What’syourname？“
　　Thedentiststarted。Hehadforgottentobepreparedforthis。
　　“Huh？What？“
　　“What’sthename？“
　　McTeague’seyewascaughtbyarailroadcalendarhangingoverthedesk。Therewasnotimetothink。
　　“Burlington，“hesaid，loudly。
　　TheGermantookacardfromafileandwroteitdown。
　　“Givediscardtoderboarding-boss，downatderboarding-
　　haus，dengomefindmebeidermillatsexo’clock，undI
　　setyoutowork。“
　　Straightasahomingpigeon，andfollowingablindandunreasonedinstinct，McTeaguehadreturnedtotheBigDippermine。Withinaweek’stimeitseemedtohimasthoughhehadneverbeenaway。Hepickeduphislifeagainexactlywherehehadleftitthedaywhenhismotherhadsenthimawaywiththetravellingdentist，thecharlatanwhohadsetuphistentbythebunkhouse。ThehouseMcTeaguehadoncelivedinwasstillthere，occupiedbyoneoftheshiftbossesandhisfamily。Thedentistpasseditonhiswaytoandfromthemine。
　　Hehimselfsleptinthebunkhousewithsomethirtyothersofhisshift。Athalf-pastfiveintheeveningthecookattheboarding-housesoundedaprolongedalarmuponacrowbarbentintheformofatriangle，thathungupontheporchoftheboarding-house。McTeagueroseanddressed，andwithhisshifthadsupper。Theirlunch-pailsweredistributedtothem。Thenhemadehiswaytothetunnelmouth，climbedintoacarinthewaitingoretrain，andwashauledintothemine。
　　Onceinside，thehoteveningairturnedtoacooldampness，andtheforestodorsgaveplacetothesmellofstaledynamitesmoke，suggestiveofburningrubber。AcloudofsteamcamefromMcTeague’smouth；underneath，thewaterswashedandrippledaroundthecar-wheels，whilethelightfromtheminer’scandlesticksthrewwaveringblursofpaleyellowoverthegrayrottingquartzoftheroofandwalls。
　　OccasionallyMcTeaguebentdownhisheadtoavoidthelaggingoftheroofortheprojectionsofanoverhangingshute。Fromcartocarallalongthelinetheminerscalledtooneanotherasthetraintrundledalong，joshingandlaughing。
　　AmilefromtheentrancethetrainreachedthebreastwhereMcTeague’sgangworked。Themenclamberedfromthecarsandtookupthelaborwherethedayshifthadleftit，burrowingtheirwaysteadilythroughaprimevalriverbed。
　　Thecandlesticksthrustintothecrevicesofthegravelstratalitupfaintlythehalfdozenmovingfiguresbefouledwithsweatandwithwetgraymould。Thepicksstruckintotheloosegravelwithayieldingshock。Thelong-handledshovelsclinkedamidstthepilesofbowldersandscrapeddullyintheheapsofrottenquartz。TheBurlydrillboringforblastsbrokeoutfromtimetotimeinanirregularchug-chug，chug-chug，whiletheenginethatpumpedthewaterfromtheminecoughedandstrangledatshortintervals。
　　McTeaguetendedthechuck。InawayhewastheassistantofthemanwhoworkedtheBurly。ItwashisdutytoreplacethedrillsintheBurly，puttinginlongeronesastheholegotdeeperanddeeper。Fromtimetotimeherappedthedrillwithapole-pickwhenitstuckfastorfitchered。
　　Onceitevenoccurredtohimthattherewasaresemblancebetweenhispresentworkandtheprofessionhehadbeenforcedtoabandon。IntheBurlydrillhesawaqueercounterpartofhisold-timedentalengine；andwhatwerethedrillsandchucksbutenormoushoeexcavators，hardbits，andburrs？Itwasthesameworkhehadsooftenperformedinhis“Parlors，“onlymagnified，mademonstrous，distorted，andgrotesqued，thecaricatureofdentistry。
　　Hepassedhisnightsthusinthemidstoftheplayofcrudeandsimpleforces——thepowerfulattacksoftheBurlydrills；
　　thegreatexertionsofbared，bentbacksoverlaidwithmuscle；thebrusque，resistlessexpansionofdynamite；andthesilent，vast，Titanicforce，mysteriousandslow，thatcrackedthetimberssupportingtheroofofthetunnel，andthatgraduallyflattenedthelaggingtillitwasthinaspaper。
　　Thelifepleasedthedentistbeyondwords。Thestill，colossalmountainstookhimbackagainlikeareturningprodigal，andvaguely，withoutknowingwhy，heyieldedtotheirinfluence——theirimmensity，theirenormouspower，crudeandblind，reflectingthemselvesinhisownnature，huge，strong，brutalinitssimplicity。Andthis，thoughheonlysawthemountainsatnight。Theyappearedfardifferentthenthaninthedaytime。Attwelveo’clockhecameoutofthemineandlunchedonthecontentsofhisdinner-pail，sittingupontheembankmentofthetrack，eatingwithbothhands，andlookingaroundhimwithasteadyox-likegaze。
　　Themountainsrosesheerfromeveryside，heavingtheirgiganticcrestsfarupintothenight，theblackpeakscrowdingtogether，andlookingnowlesslikebeaststhanlikeacompanyofcowledgiants。Inthedaytimetheyweresilent；butatnighttheyseemedtostirandrousethemselves。Occasionallythestamp-millstopped，itsthunderceasingabruptly。Thenonecouldhearthenoisesthatthemountainsmadeintheirliving。Fromthecanyon，fromthecrowdingcrests，fromthewholeimmenselandscape，thereroseasteadyandprolongedsound，comingfromallsidesatonce。Itwasthatincessantandmuffledroarwhichdisengagesitselffromallvastbodies，fromoceans，fromcities，fromforests，fromsleepingarmies，andwhichislikethebreathingofaninfinitelygreatmonster，alive，palpitating。
　　McTeaguereturnedtohiswork。Atsixinthemorninghisshiftwastakenoff，andhewentoutofthemineandbacktothebunkhouse。Alldaylongheslept，flungatlengthuponthestrong-smellingblankets——sleptthedreamlesssleepofexhaustion，crushedandoverpoweredwiththework，flatandproneuponhisbelly，tillagainintheeveningthecooksoundedthealarmuponthecrowbarbentintoatriangle。