herewastheplankbridgewithitsonerottenboard；andheretheflatovergrownwithmanzanita，whereheoncehadshotthreequail。
Atnoon，afterhehadbeentrampingforsometwohours，hehaltedatapointwheretheroaddippedsuddenly。Alittletotherightofhim，andflankingtheroad，anenormousyellowgravel-pitlikeanemptiedlakegapedtoheaven。
Fartheron，inthedistance，acanyonzigzaggedtowardthehorizon，ruggedwithpine-cladmountaincrests。Nearerathand，anddirectlyinthelineoftheroad，wasanirregularclusterofunpaintedcabins。Adull，prolongedroarvibratedintheair。McTeaguenoddedhisheadasifsatisfied。
“That’stheplace，“hemuttered。
Hereshoulderedhisblanketrollanddescendedtheroad。Atlasthehaltedagain。Hestoodbeforealowone-storybuilding，differingfromtheothersinthatitwaspainted。
Averandah，shutinwithmosquitonetting，surroundedit。
McTeaguedroppedhisblanketrollonalumberpileoutside，andcameupandknockedattheopendoor。Someonecalledtohimtocomein。
McTeagueentered，rollinghiseyesabouthim，notingthechangesthathadbeenmadesincehehadlastseenthisplace。Apartitionhadbeenknockeddown，makingonebigroomoutofthetwoformersmallones。Acounterandrailingstoodinsidethedoor。Therewasatelephoneonthewall。Inonecornerhealsoobservedastackofsurveyor’sinstruments；abigdrawing-boardstraddledonspindlelegsacrossoneendoftheroom，amechanicaldrawingofsomekind，nodoubttheplanofthemine，unrolleduponit；achromorepresentingacoupleofpeasantsinaploughedfieldMillet’s“Angelus“wasnailedunframeduponthewall，andhangingfromthesamewirenailthatsecuredoneofitscornersinplacewasabullionbagandacartridgebeltwithaloadedrevolverinthepouch。
Thedentistapproachedthecounterandleanedhiselbowsuponit。Threemenwereintheroom——atall，leanyoungman，withathickheadofhairsurprisinglygray，whowasplayingwithahalf-growngreatDanepuppy；anotherfellowaboutasyoung，butwithajawalmostassalientasMcTeague’s，stoodattheletter-presstakingacopyofaletter；athirdman，alittleolderthantheothertwo，waspotteringoveratransit。Thislatterwasmassivelybuilt，andworeoverallsandlowbootsstreakedandstainedandspottedineverydirectionwithgraymud。Thedentistlookedslowlyfromonetotheother；thenatlength，“Istheforemanabout？“heasked。
Themaninthemuddyoverallscameforward。
“Whatyouwant？“
HespokewithastrongGermanaccent。
TheoldinvariableformulacamebacktoMcTeagueontheinstant。
“What’stheshowforajob？“
AtoncetheGermanforemanbecamepreoccupied，lookingaimlesslyoutofthewindow。Therewasasilence。
“Youhevbeenmineralretty？“
“Yes，yes。“
“Knowhowtohendlepick’nshov’le？“
“Yes，Iknow。“
Theotherseemedunsatisfied。“Areyoua’cousinJack’？“
Thedentistgrinned。ThisprejudiceagainstCornishmenherememberedtoo。
“No。American。“
“Howlongsenceyoumine？“
“Oh，yearortwo。“
“Showyourhends。“McTeagueexhibitedhishard，callusedpalms。
“Whenkenyougotowork？Iwantachuck-tenderondernight-shift。“
“Icantendachuck。I’llgoonto-night。“
“What’syourname？“
Thedentiststarted。Hehadforgottentobepreparedforthis。
“Huh？What？“
“What’sthename？“
McTeague’seyewascaughtbyarailroadcalendarhangingoverthedesk。Therewasnotimetothink。
“Burlington，“hesaid，loudly。
TheGermantookacardfromafileandwroteitdown。
“Givediscardtoderboarding-boss，downatderboarding-
haus，dengomefindmebeidermillatsexo’clock，undI
setyoutowork。“
Straightasahomingpigeon，andfollowingablindandunreasonedinstinct，McTeaguehadreturnedtotheBigDippermine。Withinaweek’stimeitseemedtohimasthoughhehadneverbeenaway。Hepickeduphislifeagainexactlywherehehadleftitthedaywhenhismotherhadsenthimawaywiththetravellingdentist，thecharlatanwhohadsetuphistentbythebunkhouse。ThehouseMcTeaguehadoncelivedinwasstillthere，occupiedbyoneoftheshiftbossesandhisfamily。Thedentistpasseditonhiswaytoandfromthemine。
Hehimselfsleptinthebunkhousewithsomethirtyothersofhisshift。Athalf-pastfiveintheeveningthecookattheboarding-housesoundedaprolongedalarmuponacrowbarbentintheformofatriangle，thathungupontheporchoftheboarding-house。McTeagueroseanddressed，andwithhisshifthadsupper。Theirlunch-pailsweredistributedtothem。Thenhemadehiswaytothetunnelmouth，climbedintoacarinthewaitingoretrain，andwashauledintothemine。
Onceinside，thehoteveningairturnedtoacooldampness，andtheforestodorsgaveplacetothesmellofstaledynamitesmoke，suggestiveofburningrubber。AcloudofsteamcamefromMcTeague’smouth；underneath，thewaterswashedandrippledaroundthecar-wheels，whilethelightfromtheminer’scandlesticksthrewwaveringblursofpaleyellowoverthegrayrottingquartzoftheroofandwalls。
OccasionallyMcTeaguebentdownhisheadtoavoidthelaggingoftheroofortheprojectionsofanoverhangingshute。Fromcartocarallalongthelinetheminerscalledtooneanotherasthetraintrundledalong，joshingandlaughing。
AmilefromtheentrancethetrainreachedthebreastwhereMcTeague’sgangworked。Themenclamberedfromthecarsandtookupthelaborwherethedayshifthadleftit，burrowingtheirwaysteadilythroughaprimevalriverbed。
Thecandlesticksthrustintothecrevicesofthegravelstratalitupfaintlythehalfdozenmovingfiguresbefouledwithsweatandwithwetgraymould。Thepicksstruckintotheloosegravelwithayieldingshock。Thelong-handledshovelsclinkedamidstthepilesofbowldersandscrapeddullyintheheapsofrottenquartz。TheBurlydrillboringforblastsbrokeoutfromtimetotimeinanirregularchug-chug，chug-chug，whiletheenginethatpumpedthewaterfromtheminecoughedandstrangledatshortintervals。
McTeaguetendedthechuck。InawayhewastheassistantofthemanwhoworkedtheBurly。ItwashisdutytoreplacethedrillsintheBurly，puttinginlongeronesastheholegotdeeperanddeeper。Fromtimetotimeherappedthedrillwithapole-pickwhenitstuckfastorfitchered。
Onceitevenoccurredtohimthattherewasaresemblancebetweenhispresentworkandtheprofessionhehadbeenforcedtoabandon。IntheBurlydrillhesawaqueercounterpartofhisold-timedentalengine；andwhatwerethedrillsandchucksbutenormoushoeexcavators，hardbits，andburrs？Itwasthesameworkhehadsooftenperformedinhis“Parlors，“onlymagnified，mademonstrous，distorted，andgrotesqued，thecaricatureofdentistry。
Hepassedhisnightsthusinthemidstoftheplayofcrudeandsimpleforces——thepowerfulattacksoftheBurlydrills；
thegreatexertionsofbared，bentbacksoverlaidwithmuscle；thebrusque，resistlessexpansionofdynamite；andthesilent，vast，Titanicforce，mysteriousandslow，thatcrackedthetimberssupportingtheroofofthetunnel，andthatgraduallyflattenedthelaggingtillitwasthinaspaper。
Thelifepleasedthedentistbeyondwords。Thestill，colossalmountainstookhimbackagainlikeareturningprodigal，andvaguely，withoutknowingwhy，heyieldedtotheirinfluence——theirimmensity，theirenormouspower，crudeandblind，reflectingthemselvesinhisownnature，huge，strong，brutalinitssimplicity。Andthis，thoughheonlysawthemountainsatnight。Theyappearedfardifferentthenthaninthedaytime。Attwelveo’clockhecameoutofthemineandlunchedonthecontentsofhisdinner-pail，sittingupontheembankmentofthetrack，eatingwithbothhands，andlookingaroundhimwithasteadyox-likegaze。
Themountainsrosesheerfromeveryside，heavingtheirgiganticcrestsfarupintothenight，theblackpeakscrowdingtogether，andlookingnowlesslikebeaststhanlikeacompanyofcowledgiants。Inthedaytimetheyweresilent；butatnighttheyseemedtostirandrousethemselves。Occasionallythestamp-millstopped，itsthunderceasingabruptly。Thenonecouldhearthenoisesthatthemountainsmadeintheirliving。Fromthecanyon，fromthecrowdingcrests，fromthewholeimmenselandscape，thereroseasteadyandprolongedsound，comingfromallsidesatonce。Itwasthatincessantandmuffledroarwhichdisengagesitselffromallvastbodies，fromoceans，fromcities，fromforests，fromsleepingarmies，andwhichislikethebreathingofaninfinitelygreatmonster，alive，palpitating。
McTeaguereturnedtohiswork。Atsixinthemorninghisshiftwastakenoff，andhewentoutofthemineandbacktothebunkhouse。Alldaylongheslept，flungatlengthuponthestrong-smellingblankets——sleptthedreamlesssleepofexhaustion，crushedandoverpoweredwiththework，flatandproneuponhisbelly，tillagainintheeveningthecooksoundedthealarmuponthecrowbarbentintoatriangle。