Twodaysafterhehadlefttheposse，andwhenhewasalreadyfaroutinthedesert，Marcus’shorsegaveout。Inthefuryofhisimpatiencehehadspurredmercilesslyforwardonthetrail，andonthemorningofthethirddayfoundthathishorsewasunabletomove。Thejointsofhislegsseemedlockedrigidly。Hewouldgohisownlength，stumblingandinterfering，thencollapsehelplesslyuponthegroundwithapitifulgroan。Hewasusedup。
MarcusbelievedhimselftobecloseuponMcTeaguenow。Theashesathislastcamphadstillbeensmoldering。Marcustookwhatsuppliesoffoodandwaterhecouldcarry，andhurriedon。ButMcTeaguewasfartheraheadthanhehadguessed，andbyeveningofhisthirddayuponthedesertMarcus，ragingwiththirst，haddrunkhislastmouthfulofwaterandhadflungawaytheemptycanteen。
“Ifheain’tgotwaterwithum，“hesaidtohimselfashepushedon，“Ifheain’tgotwaterwithum，bydamn！I’llbeinabadway。Iwill，forafact。“
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AtMarcus’sshoutMcTeaguelookedupandaroundhim。Fortheinstanthesawnoone。Thewhiteglareofalkaliwasstillunbroken。Thenhisswiftlyrollingeyeslighteduponaheadandshoulderthatprotrudedabovethelowcrestofthebreakdirectlyinfrontofhim。Amanwasthere，lyingatfulllengthupontheground，coveringhimwitharevolver。ForafewsecondsMcTeaguelookedatthemanstupidly，bewildered，confused，asyetwithoutdefinitethought。ThenhenoticedthatthemanwassingularlylikeMarcusSchouler。ItWASMarcusSchouler。HowintheworlddidMarcusSchoulercometobeinthatdesert？Whatdidhemeanbypointingapistolathimthatway？He’dbestlookoutorthepistolwouldgooff。Thenhisthoughtsreadjustedthemselveswithaswiftnessbornofavividsenseofdanger。Herewastheenemyatlast，thetrackerhehadfeltuponhisfootsteps。
Nowatlengthhehad“comeon“andshownhimself，afterallthosedaysofskulking。McTeaguewasgladofit。He’dshowhimnow。Theytwowouldhaveitoutrightthenandthere。
Hisrifle！Hehadthrownitawaylongsince。Hewashelpless。Marcushadorderedhimtoputuphishands。Ifhedidnot，Marcuswouldkillhim。Hehadthedroponhim。
McTeaguestared，scowlingfiercelyatthelevelledpistol。
Hedidnotmove。
“Handsup！“shoutedMarcusasecondtime。“I’llgiveyouthreetodoitin。One，two——“
InstinctivelyMcTeagueputhishandsabovehishead。
Marcusroseandcametowardshimoverthebreak。
“Keep’emup，“hecried。“Ifyoumove’emonceI’llkillyou，sure。“
HecameuptoMcTeagueandsearchedhim，goingthroughhispockets；butMcTeaguehadnorevolver；notevenahuntingknife。
“Whatdidyoudowiththatmoney，withthatfivethousanddollars？“
“It’sonthemule，“answeredMcTeague，sullenly。
Marcusgrunted，andcastaglanceatthemule，whowasstandingsomedistanceaway，snortingnervously，andfromtimetotimeflatteninghislongears。
“Isthatitthereonthehornofthesaddle，thereinthatcanvassack？“Marcusdemanded。
“Yes，that’sit。“
AgleamofsatisfactioncameintoMarcus’seyes，andunderhisbreathhemuttered：
“Gotitatlast。“
Hewassingularlypuzzledtoknowwhatnexttodo。HehadgotMcTeague。Therehestoodatlength，withhisbighandsoverhishead，scowlingathimsullenly。Marcushadcaughthisenemy，hadrundownthemanforwhomeveryofficerintheStatehadbeenlooking。Whatshouldhedowithhimnow？
Hecouldn’tkeephimstandingthereforeverwithhishandsoverhishead。
“Gotanywater？“hedemanded。
“There’sacanteenofwateronthemule。“
Marcusmovedtowardthemuleandmadeasiftoreachthebridle-rein。Themulesquealed，threwuphishead，andgallopedtoalittledistance，rollinghiseyesandflatteninghisears。
Marcussworewrathfully。
“Heactedthatwayoncebefore，“explainedMcTeague，hishandsstillintheair。“Heatesomeloco-weedbackinthehillsbeforeIstarted。“
ForamomentMarcushesitated。WhilehewascatchingthemuleMcTeaguemightgetaway。Butwhereto，inheaven’sname？Aratcouldnothideonthesurfaceofthatglisteningalkali，andbesides，allMcTeague’sstoreofprovisionsandhispricelesssupplyofwaterwereonthemule。Marcusranafterthemule，revolverinhand，shoutingandcursing。Butthemulewouldnotbecaught。Heactedasifpossessed，squealing，lashingout，andgallopinginwidecircles，hisheadhighintheair。
“Comeon，“shoutedMarcus，furious，turningbacktoMcTeague。“Comeon，helpmecatchhim。Wegottocatchhim。
Allthewaterwegotisonthesaddle。“
McTeaguecameup。
“He’seatunsomeloco-weed，“herepeated。“Hewentkindacrazyoncebefore。“
“Ifheshouldtakeitintohisheadtoboltandkeeponrunning——“
Marcusdidnotfinish。Asuddengreatfearseemedtowidenaroundandinclosethetwomen。Oncetheirwatergone，theendwouldnotbelong。
“Wecancatchhimallright，“saidthedentist。“Icaughthimoncebefore。“
“Oh，Iguesswecancatchhim，“answeredMarcus，reassuringly。
Alreadythesenseofenmitybetweenthetwohadweakenedinthefaceofacommonperil。Marcusletdownthehammerofhisrevolverandsliditbackintotheholster。
Themulewastrottingonahead，snortingandthrowingupgreatcloudsofalkalidust。Ateverystepthecanvassackjingled，andMcTeague’sbirdcage，stillwrappedintheflour-bags，bumpedagainstthesaddlepads。Byandbythemulestopped，blowingouthisnostrilsexcitedly。
“He’scleancrazy，“fumedMarcus，pantingandswearing。
“Weoughttocomeuponhimquiet，“observedMcTeague。
“I’lltryandsneakup，“saidMarcus；“twoofuswouldscarehimagain。Youstayhere。“
Marcuswentforwardastepatatime。Hewasalmostwithinarm’slengthofthebridlewhenthemuleshiedfromhimabruptlyandgallopedaway。
Marcusdancedwithrage，shakinghisfists，andswearinghorribly。Somehundredyardsawaythemulepausedandbeganblowingandsnuffinginthealkaliasthoughinsearchoffeed。Then，fornoreason，heshiedagain，andstartedoffonajogtrottowardtheeast。
“We’veGOTtofollowhim，“exclaimedMarcusasMcTeaguecameup。“There’snowaterwithinseventymilesofhere。“
Thenbegananinterminablepursuit。Mileaftermile，undertheterribleheatofthedesertsun，thetwomenfollowedthemule，rackedwithathirstthatgrewfiercereveryhour。
Adozentimestheycouldalmosttouchthecanteenofwater，andasoftenthedistraughtanimalshiedawayandfledbeforethem。AtlengthMarcuscried：
“It’snouse，wecan’tcatchhim，andwe’rekillingourselveswiththirst。Wegottotakeourchances。“Hedrewhisrevolverfromitsholster，cockedit，andcreptforward。
“Steady，now，“saidMcTeague；“itwon’dotoshootthroughthecanteen。“
WithintwentyyardsMarcuspaused，madearestofhisleftforearmandfired。
“YouGOThim，“criedMcTeague。“No，he’supagain。
Shoothimagain。He’sgoingtobolt。“
Marcusranon，firingasheran。Themule，oneforelegtrailing，scrambledalong，squealingandsnorting。Marcusfiredhislastshot。Themulepitchedforwarduponhishead，then，rollingsideways，felluponthecanteen，burstingitopenandspillingitsentirecontentsintothesand。
MarcusandMcTeagueranup，andMarcussnatchedthebatteredcanteenfromunderthereeking，bloodyhide。Therewasnowaterleft。Marcusflungthecanteenfromhimandstoodup，facingMcTeague。Therewasapause。
“We’redeadmen，“saidMarcus。
McTeaguelookedfromhimoutoverthedesert。Chaoticdesolationstretchedfromthemoneitherhand，flamingandglaringwiththeafternoonheat。Therewasthebrazenskyandtheleaguesuponleaguesofalkali，leperwhite。Therewasnothingmore。TheywereintheheartofDeathValley。
“Notadropofwater，“mutteredMcTeague；“notadropofwater。“
“Wecandrinkthemule’sblood，“saidMarcus。“It’sbeendonebefore。But——but——“helookeddownatthequivering，gorybody——“butIain’tthirstyenoughforthatyet。“
“Where’sthenearestwater？“
“Well，it’saboutahundredmilesormorebackofusinthePanaminthills，“returnedMarcus，doggedly。“We’dbecrazylongbeforewereachedit。Itellyou，we’redonefor，bydamn，we’reDONEfor。Weain’tevergoingtogetoutahere。“