Everyalternateweektheshiftswerechanged。ThesecondweekMcTeague’sshiftworkedinthedaytimeandsleptatnight。Wednesdaynightofthissecondweekthedentistwokesuddenly。Hesatupinhisbedinthebunkhouse，lookingabouthimfromsidetoside；analarmclockhangingonthewall，overalantern，markedhalf-pastthree。
　　“Whatwasit？“mutteredthedentist。“Iwonderwhatitwas。“Therestoftheshiftweresleepingsoundly，fillingtheroomwiththeraspingsoundofsnoring。Everythingwasinitsaccustomedplace；nothingstirred。ButforallthatMcTeaguegotupandlithisminer’scandlestickandwentcarefullyabouttheroom，throwingthelightintothedarkcorners，peeringunderallthebeds，includinghisown。
　　Thenhewenttothedoorandsteppedoutside。Thenightwaswarmandstill；themoon，verylow，andcantedonhersidelikeagalleonfoundering。Thecampwasveryquiet；nobodywasinsight。“Iwonderwhatitwas，“mutteredthedentist。
　　“Therewassomething——whydidIwakeup？Huh？“Hemadeacircuitaboutthebunkhouse，unusuallyalert，hissmalleyestwinklingrapidly，seeingeverything。Allwasquiet。Anolddogwhoinvariablysleptonthestepsofthebunkhousehadnotevenwakened。McTeaguewentbacktobed，butdidnotsleep。
　　“TherewasSOMETHING，“hemuttered，lookinginapuzzledwayathiscanaryinthecagethathungfromthewallathisbedside；“something。Whatwasit？ThereissomethingNOW。Thereitisagain——thesamething。“Hesatupinbedwitheyesandearsstrained。“Whatisit？Idon’knowwhatitis。Idon’hearanything，an’Idon’seeanything。I
　　feelsomething——rightnow；feelitnow。Iwonder——Idon’
　　know——Idon’know。“
　　Oncemorehegotup，andthistimedressedhimself。Hemadeacompletetourofthecamp，lookingandlistening，forwhathedidnotknow。HeevenwenttotheoutskirtsofthecampandfornearlyhalfanhourwatchedtheroadthatledintothecampfromthedirectionofIowaHill。Hesawnothing；
　　notevenarabbitstirred。Hewenttobed。
　　Butfromthistimeontherewasachange。Thedentistgrewrestless，uneasy。Suspicionofsomething，hecouldnotsaywhat，annoyedhimincessantly。Hewentwidearoundsharpcorners。Ateverymomenthelookedsharplyoverhisshoulder。Heevenwenttobedwithhisclothesandcapon，andateveryhourduringthenightwouldgetupandprowlaboutthebunkhouse，oneearturneddownthewind，hiseyesgimletingthedarkness。Fromtimetotimehewouldmurmur：
　　“There’ssomething。Whatisit？Iwonderwhatitis。“
　　WhatstrangesixthsensestirredinMcTeagueatthistime？
　　Whatanimalcunning，whatbruteinstinctclamoredforrecognitionandobedience？Whatlowerfacultywasitthatrousedhissuspicion，thatdrovehimoutintothenightascoreoftimesbetweendarkanddawn，hisheadintheair，hiseyesandearskeenlyalert？
　　Onenightashestoodonthestepsofthebunkhouse，peeringintotheshadowsofthecamp，heutteredanexclamationasofamansuddenlyenlightened。Heturnedbackintothehouse，drewfromunderhisbedtheblanketrollinwhichhekepthismoneyhid，andtookthecanarydownfromthewall。Hestrodetothedooranddisappearedintothenight。WhenthesheriffofPlacerCountyandthetwodeputiesfromSanFranciscoreachedtheBigDippermine，McTeaguehadbeengonetwodays。
　　CHAPTER21
　　“Well，“saidoneofthedeputies，ashebackedthehorseintotheshaftsofthebuggyinwhichthepursuershaddrivenoverfromtheHill，“we’veaboutasgoodasgothim。
　　Itisn’thardtofollowamanwhocarriesabirdcagewithhimwhereverhegoes。“
　　McTeaguecrossedthemountainsonfoottheFridayandSaturdayofthatweek，goingoverthroughEmigrantGap，followingthelineoftheOverlandrailroad。HereachedRenoMondaynight。Bydegreesavagueplanofactionoutlineditselfinthedentist’smind。
　　“Mexico，“hemutteredtohimself。“Mexico，that’stheplace。They’llwatchthecoastandthey’llwatchtheEasterntrains，buttheywon’tthinkofMexico。“
　　ThesenseofpursuitwhichhadharassedhimduringthelastweekofhisstayattheBigDipperminehadwornoff，andhebelievedhimselftobeverycunning。
　　“I’mprettyfaraheadnow，Iguess，“hesaid。AtRenoheboardedasouth-boundfreightonthelineoftheCarsonandColoradorailroad，payingforapassageinthecaboose。
　　“Freightsdon’runonscheduletime，“hemuttered，“andaconductoronapassengertrainmakesithisbusinesstostudyfaces。I’llstaywiththistrainasfarasitgoes。“
　　Thefreightworkedslowlysouthward，throughwesternNevada，thecountrybecominghourlymoreandmoredesolateandabandoned。AfterleavingWalkerLakethesage-brushcountrybegan，andthefreightrolledheavilyovertracksthatthrewoffvisiblelayersofheat。Attimesitstoppedwholehalfdaysonsidingsorbywatertanks，andtheengineerandfiremancamebacktothecabooseandplayedpokerwiththeconductorandtraincrew。Thedentistsatapart，behindthestove，smokingpipeafterpipeofcheaptobacco。Sometimeshejoinedinthepokergames。Hehadlearnedpokerwhenaboyatthemine，andafterafewdealshisknowledgereturnedtohim；butforthemostparthewastaciturnandunsociable，andrarelyspoketotheothersunlessspokentofirst。Thecrewrecognizedthetype，andtheimpressiongainedgroundamongthemthathehad“donefor“alivery-stablekeeperatTruckeeandwastryingtogetdownintoArizona。
　　McTeagueheardtwobrakemendiscussinghimonenightastheystoodoutsidebythehaltedtrain。“Thelivery-stablekeepercalledhimabastard；that’swhatPicachostoldme，“
　　oneofthemremarked，“andstartedtodrawhisgun；an’thisfellardidforhimwithahayfork。He’sahorsedoctor，thischapis，andthelivery-stablekeeperhadgotthelawonhimso’shecouldn’tpractiseanymore，an’hewassoreaboutit。“
　　NearaplacecalledQueen’sthetrainreenteredCalifornia，andMcTeagueobservedwithreliefthatthelineoftrackwhichhadhithertoheldwestwardcurvedsharplytothesouthagain。Thetrainwasunmolested；occasionallythecrewfoughtwithagangoftrampswhoattemptedtoridethebrakebeams，andonceinthenorthernpartofInyoCounty，whiletheywerehaltedatawatertank，animmenseIndianbuck，blanketedtotheground，approachedMcTeagueashestoodontheroadbedstretchinghislegs，andwithoutawordpresentedtohimafilthy，crumpledletter。TheletterwastotheeffectthatthebuckBigJimwasagoodIndiananddeservingofcharity；thesignaturewasillegible。Thedentiststaredattheletter，returnedittothebuck，andregainedthetrainjustasitstarted。Neitherhadspoken；
　　thebuckdidnotmovefromhisposition，andfullyfiveminutesafterward，whentheslow-movingfreightwasmilesaway，thedentistlookedbackandsawhimstillstandingmotionlessbetweentherails，aforlornandsolitarypointofred，lostintheimmensityofthesurroundingwhiteblurofthedesert。
　　Atlengththemountainsbeganagain，risinguponeithersideofthetrack；vast，nakedhillsofwhitesandandredrock，spottedwithblueshadows。Hereandthereapatchofgreenwasspreadlikeagaytable-clothoverthesand。AllatonceMountWhitneyleapedoverthehorizon。Independencewasreachedandpassed；thefreight，nearlyemptiedbynow，andmuchshortened，rolledalongtheshoresofOwenLake。
　　AtaplacecalledKeeleritstoppeddefinitely。Itwastheterminusoftheroad。
　　ThetownofKeelerwasaone-streettown，notunlikeIowaHill——thepost-office，thebarandhotel，theOddFellows’
　　Hall，andtheliverystablebeingtheprincipalbuildings。
　　“Wheretonow？“mutteredMcTeaguetohimselfashesatontheedgeofthebedinhisroominthehotel。Hehungthecanaryinthewindow，filleditslittlebathtub，andwatchedittakeitsbathwithenormoussatisfaction。“Wheretonow？“hemutteredagain。“Thisisasfarastherailroadgoes，an’itwon’doformetostayinatownyetawhile；
　　no，itwon’do。Igottoclearout。Whereto？That’stheword，whereto？I’llgodowntosuppernow“——Hewentonwhisperinghisthoughtsaloud，sothattheywouldtakemoreconcreteshapeinhismind——“I’llgodowntosuppernow，an’
　　thenI’llhangaroun’thebarthiseveningtillIgetthelayofthisland。Maybethisisfruitcountry，thoughitlooksmorelikeacattlecountry。Maybeit’saminingcountry。Ifit’saminingcountry，“hecontinued，puckeringhisheavyeyebrows，“ifit’saminingcountry，an’theminesarefarenoughofftheroads，maybeI’dbettergettotheminesan’layquietforamonthbeforeItrytogetanyfarthersouth。“
　　Hewashedthecindersanddustofaweek’srailroadingfromhisfaceandhair，putonafreshpairofboots，andwentdowntosupper。Thedining-roomwasoftheinvariabletypeofthesmallerinteriortownsofCalifornia。Therewasbutonetable，coveredwithoilcloth；rowsofbenchesansweredforchairs；arailroadmap，achromowithagiltframeprotectedbymosquitonetting，hungonthewalls，togetherwithayellowedphotographoftheproprietorinMasonicregalia。Twowaitresseswhomtheguests——allmen——
　　calledbytheirfirstnames，cameandwentwithlargetrays。
　　ThroughthewindowsoutsideMcTeagueobservedagreatnumberofsaddlehorsestiedtotreesandfences。Eachoneofthesehorseshadariataonthepommelofthesaddle。Hesatdowntothetable，eatinghisthickhotsoup，watchinghisneighborscovertly，listeningtoeverythingthatwassaid。ItdidnottakehimlongtogatherthatthecountrytotheeastandsouthofKeelerwasacattlecountry。
　　Notfaroff，acrossarangeofhills，wasthePanamintValley，wherethebigcattlerangeswere。Everynowandthenthisnamewastossedtoandfroacrossthetableintheflowofconversation——“OverinthePanamint。““JustgoingdownforarodeointhePanamint。““Panamintbrands。““HasarangedowninthePanamint。“Thenbyandbytheremark，“Hoh，yes，GoldGulch，they’redowntogoodpaythere。
　　That’sontheothersideofthePanamintRange。Peterscameinyesterdayandtoldme。“
　　McTeagueturnedtothespeaker。
　　“Isthatagravelmine？“heasked。
　　“No，no，quartz。“
　　“I’maminer；that’swhyIasked。“
　　“WellI’veminedsometoo。Ihadaholeinthegroundmeself，butshewassilver；andwhentheskunksatWashingtonloweredthepriceofsilver，wherewasI？
　　Fitchered，b’God！“