t, and
then he began to walk along the stream bed. Cameron, at first amused,
then amazed, then pitying, and at last curious, kept pace with the
prospector. He saw a strong tension of his comrade's wrists, as if he
was holding hard against a considerable force. The end of the peach
branch began to quiver and turn. Cameron reached out a hand to touch
it, and was astounded at feeling a powerful vibrant force pulling the
branch downward. He felt it as a magnetic shock. The branch kept
turning, and at length pointed to the ground.

"Dig here," said the prospector.

"What!" ejaculated Cameron. Had the man lost his mind?

Then Cameron stood by while his comrade dug in the sand. Three feet he
dug--four--five, and the sand grew dark, then moist. At six feet water
began to seep through.

"Get the little basket in my pack," he said.

Cameron complied, and saw his comrade drop the basket into the deep
hole, where it kept the sides from caving in and allowed the water to
seep through. While Cameron watched, the basket filled. Of all the
strange incidents of his desert career this was the strangest.
Curiously he picked up the peach branch and held it as he had seen it
held. The thing, however, was dead in his hands.

"I see you haven't got it," remarked his comrade. "Few men have."

"Got what?" demanded Cameron.

"A power to find water that way. Back in Illinois an old German used
to do that to locate wells. He showed me I had the same power. I can't
explain. But you needn't look so dumfounded. There's nothing
supernatural about it."

"You mean it's a simple fact--that some men have a magnetism, a force
or power to find water as you did?"

"Yes. It's not unusual on the farms back in Illinois, Ohio,
Pennsylvania. The old German I spoke of made money traveling round
with his peach fork."

"What a gift for a man in the desert!"

Cameron's comrade smiled--the second time in all those days.

They entered a region where mineral abounded, and their march became
slower. Generally they took the course of a wash, one on each side,
and let the burros travel leisurely along nipping at the bleached
blades of scant grass, or at sage or cactus, while they searched in the
canyons and under the ledges for signs of gold. When they found any
rock that hinted of gold they picked off a piece and gave it a chemical
test. The search was fascinating. They interspersed the work with
long, restful moments when they look