Therewasnothinginsight。Formilesaround，thealkaliwasempty，solitary，quiveringandshimmeringunderthepeltingfireoftheafternoon’ssun。
　　Butoncemorethespurbitintohisbody，goadinghimon。
　　Therewastobenorest，nogoingback，nopause，nostop。
　　Hurry，hurry，hurryon。Thebrutethatinhimsleptsoclosetothesurfacewasaliveandalert，andtuggingtobegone。Therewasnoresistingthatinstinct。Thebrutefeltanenemy，scentedthetrackers，clamoredandstruggledandfought，andwouldnotbegainsaid。
　　“ICAN’Tgoon，“groanedMcTeague，hiseyessweepingthehorizonbehindhim，“I’mbeatout。I’mdogtired。Iain’tsleptanyfortwonights。“Butforallthatherousedhimselfagain，saddledthemule，scarcelylessexhaustedthanhimself，andpushedononcemoreoverthescorchingalkaliandundertheblazingsun。
　　Fromthattimeonthefearneverlefthim，thespurneverceasedtobite，theinstinctthatgoadedhimtofightneverwasdumb；hurryorhalt，itwasallthesame。Onhewent，straighton，chasingtherecedinghorizon；flagellatedwithheat；torturedwiththirst；crouchingover；lookingfurtivelybehind，andattimesreachinghishandforward，thefingersprehensile，grasping，asitwere，towardthehorizon，thatalwaysfledbeforehim。
　　ThesunsetuponthethirddayofMcTeague’sflight，nightcameon，thestarsburnedslowlyintothecooldarkpurpleofthesky。Thegiganticsinkofwhitealkaliglowedlikesnow。McTeague，nowfarintothedesert，heldsteadilyon，swingingforwardwithgreatstrides。Hisenormousstrengthheldhimdoggedlytohiswork。Sullenly，withhishugejawsgrippingstolidlytogether，hepushedon。Atmidnighthestopped。
　　“Now，“hegrowled，withacertaindesperatedefiance，asthoughheexpectedtobeheard，“now，I’mgoingtolayupandgetsomesleep。Youcancomeornot。“
　　Heclearedawaythehotsurfacealkali，spreadouthisblanket，andsleptuntilthenextday’sheatarousedhim。
　　Hiswaterwassolowthathedarednotmakecoffeenow，andsobreakfastedwithoutit。Untilteno’clockhetrampedforward，thencampedagainintheshadeofoneoftherarerockledges，and“layup“duringtheheatoftheday。Byfiveo’clockhewasoncemoreonthemarch。
　　Hetravelledonforthegreaterpartofthatnight，stoppingonlyoncetowardsthreeinthemorningtowaterthemulefromthecanteen。Againthered-hotdayburnedupoverthehorizon。Evenatsixo’clockitwashot。
　　“It’sgoingtobeworsethaneverto-day，“hegroaned。“I
　　wishIcouldfindanotherrocktocampby。Ain’tIevergoingtogetoutofthisplace？“
　　Therewasnochangeinthecharacterofthedesert。
　　Alwaysthesamemeasurelessleaguesofwhite-hotalkalistretchedawaytowardthehorizononeveryhand。Hereandtheretheflat，dazzlingsurfaceofthedesertbrokeandraisedintolonglowmounds，fromthesummitofwhichMcTeaguecouldlookformilesandmilesoveritshorribledesolation。Noshadewasinsight。Notarock，notastonebrokethemonotonyoftheground。Againandagainheascendedthelowunevennesses，lookingandsearchingforacampingplace，shadinghiseyesfromtheglitterofsandandsky。
　　Hetrampedforwardalittlefarther，thenpausedatlengthinahollowbetweentwobreaks，resolvingtomakecampthere。
　　Suddenlytherewasashout。
　　“Handsup。Bydamn，Igotthedroponyou！“
　　McTeaguelookedup。
　　ItwasMarcus。
　　CHAPTER22
　　WithinamonthafterhisdeparturefromSanFrancisco，Marcushad“goneinonacattleranch“inthePanamintValleywithanEnglishman，anacquaintanceofMr。Sieppe’s。
　　HisheadquarterswereataplacecalledModoc，atthelowerextremityofthevalley，aboutfiftymilesbytrailtothesouthofKeeler。
　　Hislifewasthelifeofacowboy。Herealizedhisformervisionofhimself，booted，sombreroed，andrevolvered，passinghisdaysinthesaddleandthebetterpartofhisnightsaroundthepokertablesinModoc’sonesaloon。Tohisintensesatisfactionheeveninvolvedhimselfinagunfightthataroseoveradisputedbrand，withtheresultthattwofingersofhislefthandwereshotaway。
　　NewsfromtheoutsideworldfilteredslowlyintothePanamintValley，andthetelegraphhadneverbeenbuiltbeyondKeeler。AtintervalsoneofthelocalpapersofIndependence，thenearestlargetown，founditswayintothecattlecampsontheranges，andoccasionallyoneoftheSundayeditionsofaSacramentojournal，weeksold，waspassedfromhandtohand。MarcusceasedtohearfromtheSieppes。AsforSanFrancisco，itwasasfarfromhimaswasLondonorVienna。
　　Oneday，afortnightafterMcTeague’sflightfromSanFrancisco，MarcusrodeintoModoc，tofindagroupofmengatheredaboutanoticeaffixedtotheoutsideoftheWells-
　　Fargooffice。Itwasanofferofrewardforthearrestandapprehensionofamurderer。ThecrimehadbeencommittedinSanFrancisco，butthemanwantedhadbeentracedasfarasthewesternportionofInyoCounty，andwasbelievedatthattimetobeinhidingineitherthePintoorPanaminthills，inthevicinityofKeeler。
　　MarcusreachedKeelerontheafternoonofthatsameday。
　　Halfamilefromthetownhisponyfellanddiedfromexhaustion。Marcusdidnotstopeventoremovethesaddle。
　　HearrivedinthebarroomofthehotelinKeelerjustafterthepossehadbeenmadeup。Thesheriff，whohadcomedownfromIndependencethatmorning，atfirstrefusedhisofferofassistance。Hehadenoughmenalready——toomany，infact。Thecountrytravelledthroughwouldbehard，anditwouldbedifficulttofindwaterforsomanymenandhorses。
　　“Butnoneofyoufellershaveeverseenum，“vociferatedMarcus，quiveringwithexcitementandwrath。“Iknowumwell。Icouldpickumoutinamillion。Icanidentifyum，andyoufellerscan’t。AndIknew——Iknew——goodGOD！I
　　knewthatgirl——hiswife——inFrisco。She’sacousinofmine，sheis——shewas——Ithoughtonceof——Thisthing’sapersonalmatterofmine——an’thatmoneyhegotawaywith，thatfivethousand，belongstomebyrights。Oh，nevermind，I’mgoingalong。Doyouhear？“heshouted，hisfistsraised，“I’mgoingalong，Itellyou。Thereain’tamanofyoubigenoughtostopme。Let’sseeyoutryandstopmegoing。Let’sseeyouonce，anytwoofyou。“Hefilledthebarroomwithhisclamor。
　　“Lordloveyou，comealong，then，“saidthesheriff。
　　TheposserodeoutofKeelerthatsamenight。Thekeeperofthegeneralmerchandisestore，fromwhomMarcushadborrowedasecondpony，hadinformedthemthatCribbensandhispartner，whosedescriptiontalliedexactlywiththatgiveninthenoticeofreward，hadoutfittedathisplacewithaviewtoprospectinginthePanaminthills。Thepossetrailedthematoncetotheirfirstcampattheheadofthevalley。Itwasaneasymatter。Itwasonlynecessarytoinquireofthecowboysandrangeridersofthevalleyiftheyhadseenandnotedthepassageoftwomen，oneofwhomcarriedabirdcage。
　　Beyondthisfirstcampthetrailwaslost，andaweekwaswastedinabootlesssearcharoundthemineatGoldGulch，whitheritseemedprobablethepartnershadgone。Thenatravellingpeddler，whoincludedGoldGulchinhisroute，broughtinthenewsofawonderfulstrikeofgold-bearingquartzsometenmilestothesouthonthewesternslopeoftherange。TwomenfromKeelerhadmadeastrike，thepeddlerhadsaid，andaddedthecuriousdetailthatoneofthemenhadacanarybirdinacagewithhim。
　　ThepossemadeCribbens’scampthreedaysaftertheunaccountabledisappearanceofhispartner。Theirmanwasgone，butthenarrowhoofprintsofamule，mixedwiththoseofhugehob-nailedboots，couldbeplainlyfollowedinthesand。Heretheypickedupthetrailandheldtoitsteadilytillthepointwasreachedwhere，insteadoftendingsouthwarditswervedabruptlytotheeast。Themencouldhardlybelievetheireyes。
　　“Itain’treason，“exclaimedthesheriff。“Whatinthunderisheupto？Thisbeatsme。CuttingoutintoDeathValleyatthistimeofyear。“
　　“He’sheadingforGoldMountainoverintheArmagosa，sure。“
　　Themendecidedthatthisconjecturewastrue。Itwastheonlyinhabitedlocalityinthatdirection。A
　　discussionbeganastothefurthermovementsoftheposse。
　　“Idon’tfigureongoingintothatalkalisinkwithnoeightmenandhorses，“declaredthesheriff。“Onemancan’tcarryenoughwatertotakehimandhismountacross，letaloneEIGHT。No，sir。Fourcouldn’tdoit。No，THREE
　　couldn’t。We’vegottomakeacircuitroundthevalleyandcomeupontheothersideandheadhimoffatGoldMountain。
　　That’swhatwegottodo，andridelikehelltodoit，too。“
　　ButMarcusprotestedwithallthestrengthofhislungsagainstabandoningthetrailnowthattheyhadfoundit。Hearguedthattheywerebutadayandahalfbehindtheirmannow。Therewasnopossibilityoftheirmissingthetrail——
　　asdistinctinthewhitealkaliasinsnow。Theycouldmakeadashintothevalley，securetheirman，andreturnlongbeforetheirwaterfailedthem。He，forone，wouldnotgiveupthepursuit，nowthattheyweresoclose。InthehasteofthedeparturefromKeelerthesheriffhadneglectedtoswearhimin。Hewasundernoorders。Hewoulddoashepleased。
　　“Goon，then，youdarnfool，“answeredthesheriff。“We’llcutonroundthevalley，forallthat。It’sagamblehe’llbeatGoldMountainbeforeyou’rehalfwayacross。Butifyoucatchhim，here“——hetossedMarcusapairofhandcuffs——
　　“put’emonhimandbringhimbacktoKeeler。“