TRAVEL. 49 



have any difficulty in returning to our post as soon as we 

 could see the sun. My plan was to find a comfortable 

 position, go into camp, and remain quiet until the sun 

 appeared. He would not hear of it ; and I had to go 

 with him to save him from himself. He believed his 

 horse would take us out, and gave him his head. For 

 several hours the horse travelled at a good walk, when we 

 came upon the trail of two horses. As Indians were bad, 

 I examined the trail carefully, and found it was our own. 



We were wandering objectless in a circle. After a 

 great deal of persuasion I got the doctor to go into camp. 

 We had nothing to eat, and had found no water. He 

 could not sleep, and by morning was almost insane. The 

 fog still enveloped us, but he would not remain in camp ; 

 and I thought action best for him, who was, in addition 

 to his other troubles, now tormenting himself with the 

 certainty of dying of hunger and thirst. We saddled, and 

 let the horses have their heads to search for water. In 

 a short time I killed a fine buck, of which the doctor, in 

 his half-crazy excitement, ate huge chunks, raw and 

 warm ; not that he was particularly hungry, but that he 

 feared he would be so. Taking each a goodly quantity 

 of meat, we started again. About three o'clock we 

 found a little water-hole, went into camp, made a fire, 

 cooked some of our venison, and at dark I went to sleep. 

 About 3 A.M. I was roused by the doctor, who, with the 

 most frantic exclamations and even tears of delight, 

 pointed out to me the stars, which were showing brightly 

 above us. The fog had lifted. Nothing could have kept 

 him in that camp ; nor was I loath to move towards 

 comfort and plenty. By noon we arrived at our post. 

 We had wandered through the glades of the chaparral 

 thickets for more than twenty-five miles from the post. 



Though never ' turned round ' or lost in the plains 

 sense, I have, on several occasions during the first year of 

 my service, lost my reckoning so far as to sleep out for a 

 night or two. 



