shapedheadanderectwhirringtailwithitsvibrantrattles。
Forfullythirtysecondsthemanandsnakeremainedlookingintoeachother’seyes。Thenthesnakeuncoiledandswiftlywoundfromsightamidstthesagebrush。McTeaguedrewbreathagain，andhiseyesoncemorebeheldtheillimitableleaguesofquiveringsandandalkali。
“GoodLord！Whatacountry！“heexclaimed。Buthisvoicewastremblingasheurgedforwardthemuleoncemore。
Fiercerandfiercergrewtheheatastheafternoonadvanced。
AtfourMcTeaguestoppedagain。Hewasdrippingateverypore，buttherewasnoreliefinperspiration。Theverytouchofhisclothesuponhisbodywasunendurable。Themule’searsweredroopingandhistonguelolledfromhismouth。Thecattletrailsseemedtobedrawingtogethertowardacommonpoint；perhapsawaterholewasnearby。
“I’llhavetolayup，sure，“mutteredthedentist。“Iain’tmadetotravelinsuchheatasthis。“
Hedrovethemuleupintooneofthelargercanyonsandhaltedintheshadowofapileofredrock。Afteralongsearchhefoundwater，afewquarts，warmandbrackish，atthebottomofahollowofsunwrackedmud；itwaslittlemorethanenoughtowaterthemuleandrefillhiscanteen。Herehecamped，easingthemuleofthesaddle，andturninghimloosetofindwhatnourishmenthemight。Afewhourslaterthesunsetinacloudlessgloryofredandgold，andtheheatbecamebydegreeslessintolerable。McTeaguecookedhissupper，chieflycoffeeandbacon，andwatchedthetwilightcomeon，revellinginthedeliciouscoolnessoftheevening。Ashespreadhisblanketsonthegroundheresolvedthathereafterhewouldtravelonlyatnight，layingupinthedaytimeintheshadeofthecanyons。Hewasexhaustedwithhisterribleday’smarch。Neverinhislifehadsleepseemedsosweettohim。
Butsuddenlyhewasbroadawake，hisjadedsensesallalert。
“Whatwasthat？“hemuttered。“IthoughtIheardsomething——sawsomething。“
Herosetohisfeet，reachingfortheWinchester。Desolationlaystillaroundhim。Therewasnotasoundbuthisownbreathing；onthefaceofthedesertnotagrainofsandwasinmotion。McTeaguelookedfurtivelyandquicklyfromsidetoside，histeethset，hiseyesrolling。Oncemoretherowelwasinhisflanks，oncemoreanunseenhandreinedhimtowardtheeast。Afterallthemilesofthatdreadfulday’sflighthewasnobetteroffthanwhenhestarted。Ifanything，hewasworse，forneverhadthatmysteriousinstinctinhimbeenmoreinsistentthannow；neverhadtheimpulsetowardprecipitateflightbeenstronger；neverhadthespurbitdeeper。Everynerveofhisbodycriedaloudforrest；yeteveryinstinctseemedarousedandalive，goadinghimtohurryon，tohurryon。
“WhatISit，then？Whatisit？“hecried，betweenhisteeth。“Can’tIevergetridofyou？Ain’tIEVERgoingtoshakeyouoff？Don’keepitupthisway。Showyourselves。Let’shaveitoutrightaway。Comeon。I
ain’tafraidifyou’llonlycomeon；butdon’tskulkthisway。“Suddenlyhecriedaloudinafrenzyofexasperation，“Damnyou，comeon，willyou？Comeonandhaveitout。“
Hisriflewasathisshoulder，hewascoveringbushafterbush，rockafterrock，aimingateverydensershadow。Allatonce，andquiteinvoluntarily，hisforefingercrooked，andtheriflespokeandflamed。Thecanyonsroaredbacktheecho，tossingitoutfaroverthedesertinarippling，wideningwaveofsound。
McTeagueloweredtheriflehastily，withanexclamationofdismay。
“Youfool，“hesaidtohimself，“youfool。You’vedoneitnow。Theycouldhearthatmilesaway。You’vedoneitnow。“
Hestoodlisteningintently，theriflesmokinginhishands。
Thelastechodiedaway。Thesmokevanished，thevastsilencecloseduponthepassingechoesoftherifleastheoceanclosesuponaship’swake。Nothingmoved；yetMcTeaguebestirredhimselfsharply，rollinguphisblankets，resaddlingthemule，gettinghisoutfittogetheragain。
Fromtimetotimehemuttered：
“Hurrynow；hurryon。Youfool，you’vedoneitnow。Theycouldhearthatmilesaway。Hurrynow。Theyain’tfaroffnow。“
Ashedepressedtheleveroftherifletoreloadit，hefoundthatthemagazinewasempty。Heclappedhishandstohissides，feelingrapidlyfirstinonepocket，theninanother。Hehadforgottentotakeextracartridgeswithhim。McTeaguesworeunderhisbreathasheflungtherifleaway。Henceforthhemusttravelunarmed。
Alittlemorewaterhadgatheredinthemudholenearwhichhehadcamped。Hewateredthemuleforthelasttimeandwetthesacksaroundthecanary’scage。Thenoncemorehesetforward。
ButtherewasachangeinthedirectionofMcTeague’sflight。Hithertohehadheldtothesouth，keepingupontheveryedgeofthehills；nowheturnedsharplyatrightangles。Theslopefellawaybeneathhishurryingfeet；thesage-brushdwindled，andatlengthceased；thesandgaveplacetoafinepowder，whiteassnow；andanhourafterhehadfiredtheriflehismule’shoofswerecrispingandcrackingthesun-bakedflakesofalkalionthesurfaceofDeathValley。
Trackedandharried，ashefelthimselftobe，fromonecampingplacetoanother，McTeaguehadsuddenlyresolvedtomakeonelastefforttoridhimselfoftheenemythatseemedtohanguponhisheels。Hewouldstrikestraightoutintothathorriblewildernesswhereeventhebeastswereafraid。
HewouldcrossDeathValleyatonceandputitsaridwastesbetweenhimandhispursuer。
“Youdon’tdarefollowmenow，“hemuttered，ashehurriedon。“Let’sseeyoucomeoutHEREafterme。“
Hehurriedonswiftly，urgingthemuletoarapidrackingwalk。Towardsfouro’clocktheskyinfrontofhimbegantoflushpinkandgolden。McTeaguehaltedandbreakfasted，pushingonagainimmediatelyafterward。Thedawnflamedandglowedlikeabrazier，andthesunroseavastred-hotcoalfloatinginfire。Anhourpassed，thenanother，andanother。
Itwasaboutnineo’clock。Oncemorethedentistpaused，andstoodpantingandblowing，hisarmsdangling，hiseyesscrewedupandblinkingashelookedabouthim。
FarbehindhimthePanaminthillswerealreadybutbluehummocksonthehorizon。Beforehimanduponeitherside，tothenorthandtotheeastandtothesouth，stretchedprimordialdesolation。Leagueuponleaguetheinfinitereachesofdazzlingwhitealkalilaidthemselvesoutlikeanimmeasurablescrollunrolledfromhorizontohorizon；notabush，notatwigrelievedthathorriblemonotony。Eventhesandofthedesertwouldhavebeenawelcomesight；asingleclumpofsage-brushwouldhavefascinatedtheeye；butthiswasworsethanthedesert。Itwasabominable，thishideoussinkofalkali，thisbedofsomeprimevallakelyingsofarbelowtheleveloftheocean。ThegreatmountainsofPlacerCountyhadbeenmerelyindifferenttoman；butthisawfulsinkofalkaliwasopenlyandunreservedlyiniquitousandmalignant。
McTeaguehadtoldhimselfthattheheatuponthelowerslopesofthePanaminthadbeendreadful；hereinDeathValleyitbecameathingofterror。Therewasnolongeranyshadowbuthisown。Hewasscorchedandparchedfromheadtoheel。Itseemedtohimthatthesmartofhistorturedbodycouldnothavebeenkeenerifhehadbeenflayed。
“Ifitgetsmuchhotter，“hemuttered，wringingthesweatfromhisthickfellofhairandmustache，“ifitgetsmuchhotter，Idon’knowwhatI’lldo。“Hewasthirsty，anddrankalittlefromhiscanteen。“Iain’tgotanytoomuchwater，“hemurmured，shakingthecanteen。“Igottogetoutofthisplaceinahurry，sure。“
Byeleveno’clocktheheathadincreasedtosuchanextentthatMcTeaguecouldfeeltheburningofthegroundcomepringlingandstingingthroughthesolesofhisboots。
Everystephetookthrewupcloudsofimpalpablealkalidust，saltyandchoking，sothathestrangledandcoughedandsneezedwithit。
“LORD！whatacountry！“exclaimedthedentist。
Anhourlater，themulestoppedandlaydown，hisjawswideopen，hisearsdangling。McTeaguewashedhismouthwithahandfulofwaterandforasecondtimesincesunrisewettedtheflour-sacksaroundthebirdcage。Theairwasquiveringandpalpitatinglikethatinthestoke-holdofasteamship。
Thesun，smallandcontracted，swammoltenoverhead。
“Ican’tstandit，“saidMcTeagueatlength。“I’llhavetostopandmakesomekindashade。“
Themulewascrouchedupontheground，pantingrapidly，withhalf-closedeyes。Thedentistremovedthesaddle，andunrollinghisblanket，proppeditupasbesthecouldbetweenhimandthesun。Ashestoopeddowntocrawlbeneathit，hispalmtouchedtheground。Hesnatcheditawaywithacryofpain。Thesurfacealkaliwasoven-hot；
hewasobligedtoscoopoutatrenchinitbeforehedaredtoliedown。
Bydegreesthedentistbegantodoze。Hehadhadlittleornosleepthenightbefore，andthehurryofhisflightundertheblazingsunhadexhaustedhim。Buthisrestwasbroken；
betweenwakingandsleeping，allmanneroftroublousimagesgallopedthroughhisbrain。HethoughthewasbackinthePanaminthillsagainwithCribbens。Theyhadjustdiscoveredthemineandwerereturningtowardcamp。
McTeaguesawhimselfasanotherman，stridingalongoverthesandandsagebrush。Atoncehesawhimselfstopandwheelsharplyabout，peeringbacksuspiciously。Therewassomethingbehindhim；somethingwasfollowinghim。Helooked，asitwere，overtheshoulderofthisotherMcTeague，andsawdownthere，inthehalflightofthecanyon，somethingdarkcrawlingupontheground，anindistinctgrayfigure，manorbrute，hedidnotknow。Thenhesawanother，andanother；thenanother。Ascoreofblack，crawlingobjectswerefollowinghim，crawlingfrombushtobush，converginguponhim。“THEY“wereafterhim，wereclosinginuponhim，werewithintouchofhishand，wereathisfeet——WEREATHISTHROAT。
McTeaguejumpedupwithashout，oversettingtheblanket。