HUNTING LARGE GAME, AND WOODCRAFT. 55 



must be in a westerly direction, and your compass, as a 

 rule, is right; if you will travel by it toward the west you 

 will certainly strike the river or road. Carry your compass 

 in your hand, and consult it often in order to keep your 

 course. A man who is lost is inclined to travel in a circle, 

 generally to the right; why this is so has never been satis- 

 factorily explained. Men have been lost in the canebrakes 

 of the South who have wandered around and around in the 

 same circle, until they have died from starvation. 



An old bear hunter in Arkansas told the writer how he 

 worked it whenever he became 'turned around in a cane- 

 brake. He said he would cut the longest and stiffest cane 

 he could find, then straddle it (as a boy does a broom-stick) 

 and walk straight ahead, the long cane preventing his walk- 

 ing in a circle, and he was sure to come out soon by going 

 straight ahead. Now, when you get lost don't "quarrel 

 with your compass," it will take you to the river, or to the 

 road, if you will follow it. After you have found the river, 

 or road, unless you are quite familiar with either, it will be 

 quite difficult to decide whether to go north or south to find 

 camp. If it is near sundown, it is best not to try either 

 direction until morning, but before dark fix up a comfort- 

 able camp for the night. Select a large, green tree, on high 

 ground, for a camp-fire. Build your fire on the windward 

 side of the tree, and prepare plenty of good wood for the 

 night. It may be well to say here, that every man going 

 into the woods should have a good supply of water-proof 

 matches; a good substitute, if water-proof ones cannot be 

 had, is to fill a small vial with good matches and cork the 

 vial tightly; in this way they will remain dry, even under 

 water. Prepare plenty of wood, as a fire in the dark woods 

 is excellent company, and it add's greatly to a man's courage 

 and keeps off wild animals. A good way to keep a fire all 

 night is, cut with your hatchet two sticks, dry ones are best, 



