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 looked afar down the
vast reaches and smoky shingles to the line of dim mountains.
Some impelling desire, not all the lure of gold, took them to the
top of mesas and escarpments; and here, when they had dug and picked,
they rested and gazed out at the wide prospect. Then, as the sun
lost its heat and sank lowering to dent its red disk behind far-distant
spurs, they halted in a shady canyon or likely spot in a dry wash and
tried for water. When they found it they unpacked, gave drink to the
tired burros, and turned them loose. Dead mesquite served for the
campfire. While the strange twilight deepened into weird night they
sat propped against stones, with eyes on the dying embers of the
fire, and soon they lay on the sand with the light of white stars
on their dark faces.
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