OUR CAMP ON WALNUT CREEK 



site point will be north, and you can tell east or 

 west. 



"If you get it firmly fixed in your mind that, 

 with the hour-hand of a watch pointing to the 

 sun, half-way between that and the figure twelve 

 in the shortest direction on the dial is south, you 

 can always get the points of the compass when 

 the sun is shining." 



"Whoever taught you that watch trick, Tom?" 

 I asked. 



"First Lieutenant James E. B. Stuart, late of 

 G Company, First Cavalry, and now an officer in 

 the rebel army, learnt me that once when I was 

 out on a scout with him in the mountains and we 

 got lost," answered Tom. "It was cloudy and we 

 wandered about in every direction except the right 

 one, as lost men will do. After a while the sun 

 came out for a little while and I saw Jeb halt, 

 take out his watch, and look at the sun. Then he 

 said: 'Now, I have got it. The trail is off in this 

 direction,' pointing with his right hand, while he 

 held the watch in the left. Then he called to me : 

 'Come here, sergeant, and I will show you how to 

 tell north and south by a watch. It may be use- 

 ful to you some day/ And then he explained it 

 to me, and many's the time it has been useful." 



By the time we had everything packed up 

 after breakfast and the team strung out, the 

 sun was up and we started north. 



We ran a fairly straight line, bearing a little to 

 123 



