Twodaysafterhehadlefttheposse，andwhenhewasalreadyfaroutinthedesert，Marcus’shorsegaveout。Inthefuryofhisimpatiencehehadspurredmercilesslyforwardonthetrail，andonthemorningofthethirddayfoundthathishorsewasunabletomove。Thejointsofhislegsseemedlockedrigidly。Hewouldgohisownlength，stumblingandinterfering，thencollapsehelplesslyuponthegroundwithapitifulgroan。Hewasusedup。
　　MarcusbelievedhimselftobecloseuponMcTeaguenow。Theashesathislastcamphadstillbeensmoldering。Marcustookwhatsuppliesoffoodandwaterhecouldcarry，andhurriedon。ButMcTeaguewasfartheraheadthanhehadguessed，andbyeveningofhisthirddayuponthedesertMarcus，ragingwiththirst，haddrunkhislastmouthfulofwaterandhadflungawaytheemptycanteen。
　　“Ifheain’tgotwaterwithum，“hesaidtohimselfashepushedon，“Ifheain’tgotwaterwithum，bydamn！I’llbeinabadway。Iwill，forafact。“
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　　AtMarcus’sshoutMcTeaguelookedupandaroundhim。Fortheinstanthesawnoone。Thewhiteglareofalkaliwasstillunbroken。Thenhisswiftlyrollingeyeslighteduponaheadandshoulderthatprotrudedabovethelowcrestofthebreakdirectlyinfrontofhim。Amanwasthere，lyingatfulllengthupontheground，coveringhimwitharevolver。ForafewsecondsMcTeaguelookedatthemanstupidly，bewildered，confused，asyetwithoutdefinitethought。ThenhenoticedthatthemanwassingularlylikeMarcusSchouler。ItWASMarcusSchouler。HowintheworlddidMarcusSchoulercometobeinthatdesert？Whatdidhemeanbypointingapistolathimthatway？He’dbestlookoutorthepistolwouldgooff。Thenhisthoughtsreadjustedthemselveswithaswiftnessbornofavividsenseofdanger。Herewastheenemyatlast，thetrackerhehadfeltuponhisfootsteps。
　　Nowatlengthhehad“comeon“andshownhimself，afterallthosedaysofskulking。McTeaguewasgladofit。He’dshowhimnow。Theytwowouldhaveitoutrightthenandthere。
　　Hisrifle！Hehadthrownitawaylongsince。Hewashelpless。Marcushadorderedhimtoputuphishands。Ifhedidnot，Marcuswouldkillhim。Hehadthedroponhim。
　　McTeaguestared，scowlingfiercelyatthelevelledpistol。
　　Hedidnotmove。
　　“Handsup！“shoutedMarcusasecondtime。“I’llgiveyouthreetodoitin。One，two——“
　　InstinctivelyMcTeagueputhishandsabovehishead。
　　Marcusroseandcametowardshimoverthebreak。
　　“Keep’emup，“hecried。“Ifyoumove’emonceI’llkillyou，sure。“
　　HecameuptoMcTeagueandsearchedhim，goingthroughhispockets；butMcTeaguehadnorevolver；notevenahuntingknife。
　　“Whatdidyoudowiththatmoney，withthatfivethousanddollars？“
　　“It’sonthemule，“answeredMcTeague，sullenly。
　　Marcusgrunted，andcastaglanceatthemule，whowasstandingsomedistanceaway，snortingnervously，andfromtimetotimeflatteninghislongears。
　　“Isthatitthereonthehornofthesaddle，thereinthatcanvassack？“Marcusdemanded。
　　“Yes，that’sit。“
　　AgleamofsatisfactioncameintoMarcus’seyes，andunderhisbreathhemuttered：
　　“Gotitatlast。“
　　Hewassingularlypuzzledtoknowwhatnexttodo。HehadgotMcTeague。Therehestoodatlength，withhisbighandsoverhishead，scowlingathimsullenly。Marcushadcaughthisenemy，hadrundownthemanforwhomeveryofficerintheStatehadbeenlooking。Whatshouldhedowithhimnow？
　　Hecouldn’tkeephimstandingthereforeverwithhishandsoverhishead。
　　“Gotanywater？“hedemanded。
　　“There’sacanteenofwateronthemule。“
　　Marcusmovedtowardthemuleandmadeasiftoreachthebridle-rein。Themulesquealed，threwuphishead，andgallopedtoalittledistance，rollinghiseyesandflatteninghisears。
　　Marcussworewrathfully。
　　“Heactedthatwayoncebefore，“explainedMcTeague，hishandsstillintheair。“Heatesomeloco-weedbackinthehillsbeforeIstarted。“
　　ForamomentMarcushesitated。WhilehewascatchingthemuleMcTeaguemightgetaway。Butwhereto，inheaven’sname？Aratcouldnothideonthesurfaceofthatglisteningalkali，andbesides，allMcTeague’sstoreofprovisionsandhispricelesssupplyofwaterwereonthemule。Marcusranafterthemule，revolverinhand，shoutingandcursing。Butthemulewouldnotbecaught。Heactedasifpossessed，squealing，lashingout，andgallopinginwidecircles，hisheadhighintheair。
　　“Comeon，“shoutedMarcus，furious，turningbacktoMcTeague。“Comeon，helpmecatchhim。Wegottocatchhim。
　　Allthewaterwegotisonthesaddle。“
　　McTeaguecameup。
　　“He’seatunsomeloco-weed，“herepeated。“Hewentkindacrazyoncebefore。“
　　“Ifheshouldtakeitintohisheadtoboltandkeeponrunning——“
　　Marcusdidnotfinish。Asuddengreatfearseemedtowidenaroundandinclosethetwomen。Oncetheirwatergone，theendwouldnotbelong。
　　“Wecancatchhimallright，“saidthedentist。“Icaughthimoncebefore。“
　　“Oh，Iguesswecancatchhim，“answeredMarcus，reassuringly。
　　Alreadythesenseofenmitybetweenthetwohadweakenedinthefaceofacommonperil。Marcusletdownthehammerofhisrevolverandsliditbackintotheholster。
　　Themulewastrottingonahead，snortingandthrowingupgreatcloudsofalkalidust。Ateverystepthecanvassackjingled，andMcTeague’sbirdcage，stillwrappedintheflour-bags，bumpedagainstthesaddlepads。Byandbythemulestopped，blowingouthisnostrilsexcitedly。
　　“He’scleancrazy，“fumedMarcus，pantingandswearing。
　　“Weoughttocomeuponhimquiet，“observedMcTeague。
　　“I’lltryandsneakup，“saidMarcus；“twoofuswouldscarehimagain。Youstayhere。“
　　Marcuswentforwardastepatatime。Hewasalmostwithinarm’slengthofthebridlewhenthemuleshiedfromhimabruptlyandgallopedaway。
　　Marcusdancedwithrage，shakinghisfists，andswearinghorribly。Somehundredyardsawaythemulepausedandbeganblowingandsnuffinginthealkaliasthoughinsearchoffeed。Then，fornoreason，heshiedagain，andstartedoffonajogtrottowardtheeast。
　　“We’veGOTtofollowhim，“exclaimedMarcusasMcTeaguecameup。“There’snowaterwithinseventymilesofhere。“
　　Thenbegananinterminablepursuit。Mileaftermile，undertheterribleheatofthedesertsun，thetwomenfollowedthemule，rackedwithathirstthatgrewfiercereveryhour。
　　Adozentimestheycouldalmosttouchthecanteenofwater，andasoftenthedistraughtanimalshiedawayandfledbeforethem。AtlengthMarcuscried：
　　“It’snouse，wecan’tcatchhim，andwe’rekillingourselveswiththirst。Wegottotakeourchances。“Hedrewhisrevolverfromitsholster，cockedit，andcreptforward。
　　“Steady，now，“saidMcTeague；“itwon’dotoshootthroughthecanteen。“
　　WithintwentyyardsMarcuspaused，madearestofhisleftforearmandfired。
　　“YouGOThim，“criedMcTeague。“No，he’supagain。
　　Shoothimagain。He’sgoingtobolt。“
　　Marcusranon，firingasheran。Themule，oneforelegtrailing，scrambledalong，squealingandsnorting。Marcusfiredhislastshot。Themulepitchedforwarduponhishead，then，rollingsideways，felluponthecanteen，burstingitopenandspillingitsentirecontentsintothesand。
　　MarcusandMcTeagueranup，andMarcussnatchedthebatteredcanteenfromunderthereeking，bloodyhide。Therewasnowaterleft。Marcusflungthecanteenfromhimandstoodup，facingMcTeague。Therewasapause。
　　“We’redeadmen，“saidMarcus。
　　McTeaguelookedfromhimoutoverthedesert。Chaoticdesolationstretchedfromthemoneitherhand，flamingandglaringwiththeafternoonheat。Therewasthebrazenskyandtheleaguesuponleaguesofalkali，leperwhite。Therewasnothingmore。TheywereintheheartofDeathValley。
　　“Notadropofwater，“mutteredMcTeague；“notadropofwater。“
　　“Wecandrinkthemule’sblood，“saidMarcus。“It’sbeendonebefore。But——but——“helookeddownatthequivering，gorybody——“butIain’tthirstyenoughforthatyet。“
　　“Where’sthenearestwater？“
　　“Well，it’saboutahundredmilesormorebackofusinthePanaminthills，“returnedMarcus，doggedly。“We’dbecrazylongbeforewereachedit。Itellyou，we’redonefor，bydamn，we’reDONEfor。Weain’tevergoingtogetoutahere。“