Water witching

So there we were, eight grown men around the neighborhood campfire, solving the world's problems, shooting the breeze, when well drilling became the topic. One of the men claimed he could tell where best to drill by "witching" for water. He got out his pocket knife and disappeared in the woods, emerging with a Y-shaped tag alder branch. He began a slow saunter around the perimeter, holding the branch in both hands, palms up. Suddenly he appeared to be pulled toward a specific spot, stopped dead, and then the branch began to twitch, twenty times total by his counting aloud. He then pronounced water would be struck at 40 feet.

(Forty feet is typically as deep as our wells are in this neck of the woods; water can be struck anywhere, all of which he certainly knew.)

Three of the men were visibly impressed by his dowsing talents. The remainder said nothing. I bit my tongue in respect for neighbor unity and good will, but I lost a great deal of respect for a man who I felt openly practiced deception amongst his peers.

Am I being too hard on my neighbor? Is there one shred of integrity in this old trick?