The Lamar register., 1922-11-29

hegau 10 take keensr note OF his coiA
radc. and found hun different from
any other he had ever encountered In
The iderness. This man never
grumbed AT the heat, the glare, the
driving sand, the sour water. the
scam fare He was tireless. patient
brool'ng
Cameruus awakened interest brought
home To him the realization that fsx
years ne had Stunned companion1hip
In those years only three men had
wandered into the desert with him.
and jhese had left their bones to
bleach in the shifting sands. Cameron
had not cared 10 know their secrets.
iiut The more he studied this latest
r"mrade the more he began to suspect
that lie might have missed somethins
in the others. In his own driving pas
sion T." take his secret into the limit.
less abOde ~ silence and desolsti
where he could be alone with Il. he
had forgotten that life dealt shocks to
other men. Somehow this silent com.
rade reminded him.
One afternoon late after they had
toiled up q white, winding WISH Of
sand and gravel they came upoe
uIy "Hteru"Ie LhIurrm dug deep
Into the sand. bur without avail. He
was turning to retrace weary steps
back to the last water when his CON-
rade asked him to walt. Cameron
watched him search In his pach and
bring forth what appeared to BE- .
small, forked branch Of q peach tree.
He grasped the prongs of the fork
and held them before him with the
end standing straight out. and then
he began to walk along the strean
bed. Cameron. At frst amused, thea
amazed. then plying. and At last Gu
rious. kept pace with the prospeetor.
He saw q strong tension Of his CON.
rade's wrists. as II he was holding
hard against q Considerable force. The
end Of ths peach branch began 70
culver and turn. kept turning. sAd ~
length pointed to the ground.
Dig here" said the prospector.
"whatr calculated Cameron. Had
the man lost his minds
Then Cameron stood by while his
comrade dug In the sane. Three feet
he dug--four-five. and the sand
grew dark. then moist. At sig 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 1t kept the sides from
cnving IN and allowed the water to
~
the basket filled. OF all t..e strange
Incidents Of his desert career this was
the strangest. Curiously he picked up
the peach branch and held Il a. he
had seen Il held. The thing, how
ever. was dead In ILLS hands.
~ see you haven't got It," remarked
his comrade. Sew men have Back
In Illinois an old German used to do
that to locate wells. He showed me
had the same power ! can't ex-
plain. The old German ! spoke of
made money travelling round with his
peach fork
"whst . sift for a man In the dee
ert"
Cameron's comrsde smiled--the sec.
end time In all those days
Iuey entered q frBiOh where tbin-
eral sbounded. and their march be-
came slower Generally they took the
course OF Q wash. one on each side.
and let the burros travel ieisnrely
along nippinG Al the bieached blades
Of scant grass, or at sage or cactus.
while they searched IN the eanons and
under the lodges for signs q gold.
Each succeeding day and night
Cameron felt himself more and more
drawn TO this strange man. He found
that after hours OF burning toll he had
insensibly grown nearer to his com.
rade. He reflected thar AFTER Q few
weeks In the desert he had always
become q different man. In civiiiIs. /
tion, In the rough mining camps. lie
had been a prey to unrest and gloom. |
But once down on the greet biliowiRs |
sweep Of this lonely world, he could |,
look into his uBquiet soul without bit. |
terness. so now he DID not marvel OF