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！“