The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-10-26


rade asked him to wait. Cameron
watched him search In his pack and
bring forth what appeared to be 4
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 stream
bed. Cameron. at first amused. then
amazed. then plying. and at last GU
rious, kept pace with the prospector.
He saw a strong tension Of his COM
rade's wrists, as II he was holding
hard against a considerable force The
end of the peach branch began to
CULVER and turn. kept turning, and at
length pointed to the ground.
''Dig here" said the prospector.
"Whati" calculated Cameron. Had
the man lost his mindf
Then Cameron stood by while his
comrade dug In the sane. Three feet
he dug-four-hve, 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 1t kept the sides from
caving In and allowed the water to
seep through. While Cameron watched,
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 1t as he
had seen 1t held. The thing. how
ever, was dead in his hands.
II see you haven't got It," remarked
his comrade. Few men have. Back
In Illinois an old German used to do
that to locate wells. He showed me
I had the same power. can't ex-
plain. The old German I spoke Of
made money travelling round with his
peach fork"
-what gift for man in the des-
erti"
Cameron's comrade smiled-the sec
ond time in all those days.
They entered 4 region where min
eral abounded. and their march be-
came slower. Generally they took the
and let the burros travel lelsurely
along nipping at the bleached blades
Of scant grass or at sage or cactus.
while they searched in the canons and
under the ledges for signs of 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 few
weeks in the desert he had always
become different man. In civiliza.
tion, in the rough mining camps. he
had been prey to unrest and gloom.
But once down on the great billowing
sweep of this lonely world, he could
look into his unquiet soul without bit
terness. So now he did not marvel at
a slow stir stealing warmer along his
veins. and at the premonition that per-
haps he and this man, alone on the
desert, driven there by lIfe's mysterl-
GUS and remorseless motive, were to
see each other through Gods eyes.
One night they were encamped at
the head Of canon. The day had
been exceedingly hot. and long after
sundown the radiations of heat from
the rocks persisted. Cameron watched
his comrade. and yielded to interest
he had not heretofore voiced.
"Pardner, what drives you into the
desert7 Do you come to forget?"
"Yes."
"Ahl" softly exclaimed Cameron.
Always he seemed to have known that
He said no more, hut grew acutely
conscious of the pang in his own
breast, Of the fire in his heart. the
driven soul. He had come into the
desert to remember woman. She
appeared to him then as she had
looked when first she entered his life
"a golden-haired girl. blue-eyed
white-skinned. red-lfpped, tall and
slender and beautiful. He had never
forgotten, and an old. sickening re-
morse knocked at his heart He rose
and climbed out Of the canon and to
the top Of the mesa. where he paced
to and fro and looked down into the
weird and mystic shadows. like the
darkness Of his passion, and farther
on down the moon track and the gilt.
tering stretches that vanished in the
cold blue horizon. In that endless,
silent hall Of desert there was Q
spirit; and Cameron felt lowering
near him what he imagined 10 Be
phantoms Of peace.
He returned to camp and sought
his comrade.
II reckon we're two Of q kind" he
said. ut was a woman who drove me
into the desert. But come to re-
member. The deserts the only place
I can do that"
"was she your wifer asked n.
elder man.
"No."
A long silence ensued. The camp
nre wore down to . ruddy ashen heap
II had q daughter said Cameron's