262 Life of a Fossil Hunter 



camp in the creek bottom, eight miles north of Sey- 

 mour. I made a section there and sent samples of 

 the rock to Munich. 



I observed this rock under peculiar circumstances, 

 and found that it solved an interesting problem 

 that of the water supply of the red beds. I dis- 

 covered why the water that falls where these beds 

 only are exposed runs off soon after a shower, ex- 

 cept when caught in natural or artificial tanks, so 

 that there are no wells or springs in the red beds, 

 while in the gray beds there are always springs and 

 streams of running water. 



In the September of my 1901 expedition, the 

 heaviest rain since May fell in torrents for an hour 

 and a half; water lay everywhere on the surface of 

 the ground. But soon after the rain stopped, it had 

 all disappeared. My son had discovered across the 

 creek a locality which was rich in fossil inverte- 

 brates, consisting chiefly of straight and coiled 

 nautilus-like shells; and shortly after the downpour 

 I went over to set to work collecting them, as Dr. 

 Broili had told me that the Munich Museum was 

 anxious to secure such a collection. I had not been 

 long at work before George shouted to me that if I 

 did not want to swim I would better cross the creek 

 again at once. I followed his advice so hastily that 

 I left my tools behind. Instantly, a raging, boiling 

 flood of water covered the rocks in the bed of the 



