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。“