But the shepherds, ever desirous of water, and looking on Felix as a being of a different order to themselves, took his casual observation in its literal sense.  They brought their tools and dug, and, as it chanced, found a copious spring.  The water gushed forth and formed a streamlet.  Upon this the whole tribe gathered, and they saluted Felix as one almost divine.  It was in vain that he endeavoured to repel this homage, and to explain the reason of his remark, and that it was only in a general way that he intended it.  Facts were too strong for him.  They had heard his words, which they considered an inspiration, and there was the water.  It was no use; there was the spring, the very thing they most wanted.  Perforce Felix was invested with attributes beyond nature.

The report spread; his own old friends came in a crowd to see the new spring, others journeyed from afar.  In a week, Felix having meanwhile returned to Wolfstead, his fame had for the second time spread all over the district.  Some came a hundred miles to see him.  Nothing he could say was listened to; these simple, straightforward people understood nothing but facts, and the defeat of the gipsies and the discovery of the spring seemed to them little less than supernatural.  Besides which, in innumerable little ways Felix’s superior knowledge had told upon them.  His very manners spoke of high training.  His persuasive voice won them.  His constructive skill and power of planning, as shown in the palisades and enclosure, showed a grasp of circumstances new to them.  This was a man such as they had never before seen.

They began to bring him disputes to settle; he shrank from this position of judge, but it was useless to struggle; they would wait as long as he liked, but his decision they would have, and no other.  Next came the sick begging to be cured.  Here Felix was firm; he would not attempt to be a physician, and they went away.  But, unfortunately, it happened that he let out his knowledge of plants, and back they came.  Felix did not know what course to pursue; if by chance he did any one good, crowds would beset him; if injury resulted, perhaps he would be assassinated.  This fear was quite unfounded; he really had not the smallest idea of how high he stood in their estimation.

After much consideration, Felix hit upon a method which would save him from many inconveniences.  He announced his intention of forming a herb-garden in which to grow the best kind of herbs, and at the same time said he would not administer any medicine himself, but would tell their own native physicians and nurses all he knew, so that they could use his knowledge.  The herb-garden was at once begun in the valley; it could not contain much till next year, and meantime if any diseased persons came Felix saw them, expressed his opinion to the old shepherd who was the doctor of the tribe, and the latter carried out his instructions.  Felix did succeed in relieving some small ailments, and thereby added to his reputation.