“That’llrunfivedollarstotheton。Rich，it’srich；it’stherichestkindofpay，pardner。We’remillionaires。Whydon’tyousaysomething？Whydon’tyougetexcited？Whydon’tyourunaroundan’dosomething？“
　　“Huh！“saidMcTeague，rollinghiseyes。“Huh！Iknow，I
　　know，we’vestruckitprettyrich。“
　　“Comeon，“exclaimedCribbens，jumpingupagain。“We’llstakeheroutan’putupthelocationnotice。Lord，supposeanyoneshouldhavecomeonherwhilewe’vebeenaway。“Hereloadedhisrevolverdeliberately。“We’lldropHIMallright，ifthere’sanyonefoolingroundthere；I’lltellyouthoserightnow。Bringtherifle，pardner，an’ifyouseeanyone，PLUGhim，an’askhimwhathewantsafterward。“
　　Theyhurriedbacktowheretheyhadmadetheirdiscovery。
　　“Tothink，“exclaimedCribbens，ashedrovethefirststake，“tothinkthoseothermushheadshadtheircampwithingunshotofherandneverlocatedher。Guesstheydidn’tknowthemeaningofa’contact。’Oh，IknewIwassolidon’contacts。’“
　　Theystakedouttheirclaim，andCribbensputupthenoticeoflocation。Itwasdarkbeforetheywerethrough。
　　Cribbensbrokeoffsomemorechunksofquartsinthevein。
　　“I’llspoonthistoo，justforthefunofit，whenIgethome，“heexplained，astheytrampedbacktothecamp。
　　“Well，“saidthedentist，“wegotthelaughonthosecowboys。“
　　“Havewe？“shoutedCribbens。“HAVEwe？Justwaitandseetherushforthisplacewhenwetell’emaboutitdowninKeeler。Say，what’llwecallher？“
　　“Idon’know，Idon’know。“
　　“Wemightcallherthe’LastChance。’’Twasourlastchance，wasn’tit？We’d’a’goneantelopeshootingtomorrow，andthenextdaywe’d’a’——say，whatyoustoppingfor？“headded，interruptinghimself。“What’sup？“
　　Thedentisthadpausedabruptlyonthecrestofacanyon。
　　Cribbens，lookingback，sawhimstandingmotionlessinhistracks。
　　“What’sup？“askedCribbensasecondtime。
　　McTeagueslowlyturnedhisheadandlookedoveroneshoulder，thenovertheother。Suddenlyhewheeledsharplyabout，cockingtheWinchesterandtossingittohisshoulder。Cribbensranbacktohisside，whippingouthisrevolver。
　　“Whatisit？“hecried。“Seeanybody？“Hepeeredonaheadthroughthegatheringtwilight。
　　“No，no。“
　　“Hearanything？“
　　“No，didn’thearanything。“
　　“Whatisitthen？What’sup？“
　　“Idon’know，Idon’know，“mutteredthedentist，loweringtherifle。“Therewassomething。“
　　“What？“
　　“Something——didn’tyounotice？“
　　“Noticewhat？“
　　“Idon’know。Something——somethingorother。“
　　“Who？What？Noticewhat？Whatdidyousee？“
　　Thedentistletdownthehammeroftherifle。
　　“Iguessitwasn’tanything，“hesaidratherfoolishly。
　　“Whatd’youthinkyousaw——anybodyontheclaim？“
　　“Ididn’tseeanything。Ididn’thearanythingeither。I
　　hadanidea，that’sall；cameallofasudden，likethat。
　　Something，Idon’knowwhat。“
　　“Iguessyoujustimaginedsomething。Thereain’tanybodywithintwentymilesofus，Iguess。“
　　“Yes，Iguessso，justimaginedit，that’stheword。“
　　Halfanhourlatertheyhadthefiregoing。McTeaguewasfryingstripsofbaconoverthecoals，andCribbenswasstillchatteringandexclaimingovertheirgreatstrike。
　　AllatonceMcTeagueputdownthefrying-pan。
　　“What’sthat？“hegrowled。
　　“Hey？What’swhat？“exclaimedCribbens，gettingup。
　　“Didn’tyounoticesomething？“
　　“Where？“
　　“Offthere。“Thedentistmadeavaguegesturetowardtheeasternhorizon。“Didn’tyouhearsomething——Imeanseesomething——Imean——“
　　“What’sthematterwithyou，pardner？“
　　“Nothing。IguessIjustimaginedit。“
　　Butitwasnotimagination。Untilmidnightthepartnerslaybroadawake，rolledintheirblanketsundertheopensky，talkinganddiscussingandmakingplans。AtlastCribbensrolledoveronhissideandslept。Thedentistcouldnotsleep。
　　What！Itwaswarninghimagain，thatstrangesixthsense，thatobscurebruteinstinct。Itwasarousedagainandclamoringtobeobeyed。Here，inthesedesolatebarrenhills，twentymilesfromthenearesthumanbeing，itstirredandwokeandrowelledhimtobemovingon。IthadgoadedhimtoflightfromtheBigDippermine，andhehadobeyed。
　　Butnowitwasdifferent；nowhehadsuddenlybecomerich；
　　hehadlightedonatreasure——atreasurefarmorevaluablethantheBigDippermineitself。Howwashetoleavethat？
　　Hecouldnotmoveonnow。Heturnedaboutinhisblankets。
　　No，hewouldnotmoveon。Perhapsitwashisfancy，afterall。Hesawnothing，heardnothing。Theemptinessofprimevaldesolationstretchedfromhimleaguesandleaguesuponeitherhand。Thegiganticsilenceofthenightlaycloseovereverything，likeamufflingTitanicpalm。Ofwhatwashesuspicious？Inthattreelesswasteanobjectcouldbeseenathalfaday’sjourneydistant。Inthatvastsilencetheclickofapebblewasasaudibleasapistol-shot。Andyettherewasnothing，nothing。
　　Thedentistsettledhimselfinhisblanketsandtriedtosleep。Infiveminuteshewassittingup，staringintotheblue-grayshimmerofthemoonlight，straininghisears，watchingandlisteningintently。Nothingwasinsight。ThebrownedandbrokenflanksofthePanaminthillslayquietandfamiliarunderthemoon。Theburromoveditsheadwithaclinkingofitsbell；andMcTeaguesmule，dozingonthreelegs，changeditsweighttoanotherfoot，withalongbreath。Everythingfellsilentagain。
　　“Whatisit？“mutteredthedentist。“IfIcouldonlyseesomething，hearsomething。“
　　Hethrewofftheblankets，and，rising，climbedtothesummitofthenearesthillandlookedbackinthedirectioninwhichheandCribbenshadtravelledafortnightbefore。
　　Forhalfanhourhewaited，watchingandlisteninginvain。
　　Butashereturnedtocamp，andpreparedtorollhisblanketsabouthim，thestrangeimpulseroseinhimagainabruptly，neversostrong，neversoinsistent。Itseemedasthoughhewerebittedandridden；asifsomeunseenhandwereturninghimtowardtheeast；someunseenheelspurringhimtoprecipitateandinstantflight。
　　Flightfromwhat？“No，“hemutteredunderhisbreath。“Gonowandleavetheclaim，andleaveafortune！WhatafoolI’dbe，whenIcan’tseeanythingorhearanything。Toleaveafortune！No，Iwon’t。No，byGod！“HedrewCribbens’sWinchestertowardhimandslippedacartridgeintothemagazine。
　　“No，“hegrowled。“Whateverhappens，I’mgoingtostay。Ifanybodycomes——“Hedepressedtheleveroftherifle，andsentthecartridgeclashingintothebreech。
　　“Iain’tgoingtosleep，“hemutteredunderhismustache。
　　“Ican’tsleep；I’llwatch。“Heroseasecondtime，clamberedtothenearesthilltopandsatdown，drawingtheblanketaroundhim，andlayingtheWinchesteracrosshisknees。Thehourspassed。Thedentistsatonthehilltopamotionless，crouchingfigure，inkyblackagainstthepaleblurofthesky。Byandbytheedgeoftheeasternhorizonbegantogrowblackerandmoredistinctinout-line。Thedawnwascoming。OncemoreMcTeaguefeltthemysteriousintuitionofapproachingdanger；anunseenhandseemedreininghisheadeastward；aspurwasinhisflanksthatseemedtourgehimtohurry，hurry，hurry。Theinfluencegrewstrongerwitheverymoment。Thedentistsethisgreatjawstogetherandheldhisground。
　　“No，“hegrowledbetweenhissetteeth。“No，I’llstay。“
　　Hemadealongcircuitaroundthecamp，evengoingasfarasthefirststakeofthenewclaim，hisWinchestercocked，hisearspricked，hiseyesalert。Therewasnothing；yetasplainlyasthoughitwereshoutedattheverynapeofhisneckhefeltanenemy。Itwasnotfear。McTeaguewasnotafraid。