," he
explained, as they tramped back to the camp.

"Well," said the dentist, "we got the laugh on those cowboys."

"Have we?" shouted Cribbens. "HAVE we? Just wait and see the rush for
this place when we tell 'em about it down in Keeler. Say, what'll we
call her?"

"I don' know, I don' know."

"We might call her the 'Last Chance.' 'Twas our last chance, wasn't
it? We'd 'a' gone antelope shooting tomorrow, and the next day we'd
'a'--say, what you stopping for?" he added, interrupting himself.
"What's up?"

The dentist had paused abruptly on the crest of a canyon. Cribbens,
looking back, saw him standing motionless in his tracks.

"What's up?" asked Cribbens a second time.

McTeague slowly turned his head and looked over one shoulder, then over
the other. Suddenly he wheeled sharply about, cocking the Winchester and
tossing it to his shoulder. Cribbens ran back to his side, whipping out
his revolver.

"What is it?" he cried. "See anybody?" He peered on ahead through the
gathering twilight.

"No, no."

"Hear anything?"

"No, didn't hear anything."

"What is it then? What's up?"

"I don' know, I don' know," muttered the dentist, lowering the rifle.
"There was something."

"What?"

"Something--didn't you notice?"

"Notice what?"

"I don' know. Something--something or other."

"Who? What? Notice what? What did you see?"

The dentist let down the hammer of the rifle.

"I guess it wasn't anything," he said rather foolishly.

"What d'you think you saw--anybody on the claim?"

"I didn't see anything. I didn't hear anything either. I had an idea,
that's all; came all of a sudden, like that. Something, I don' know
what."

"I guess you just imagined something. There ain't anybody within twenty
miles of us, I guess."

"Yes, I guess so, just imagined it, that's the word."

Half an hour later they had the fire going. McTeague was frying
strips of bacon over the coals, and Cribbens was still chattering and
exclaiming over their great strike. All at once McTeague put down the
frying-pan.

"What's that?" he growled.

"Hey? What's what?" exclaimed Cribbens, getting up.

"Didn't you notice something?"

"Where?"

"Off there." The dentist made a vague gesture toward the eastern
horizon. "Didn't you hear something--I mean see something--I mean--"

"What's the matter with you, pardner?"

"Nothing. I guess I just imagined it."

But it was not imagination. Until midnight the partners lay broad awak