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。