126 Wild Life in Central Africa. 



put on the bright fire would produce lots of smoke, and so 

 would some green grass. He could break down branches 

 to make a rough skerm round at the back, and with plenty 

 of dry fuel and his rifle he would be safe from lions. If he 

 had not many cartridges it would be a mistake to fire 

 many shots, as a call for help ; these should be kept and 

 economised as much as possible. A compass is of little 

 use unless one knows the direction travelled before his 

 bearings were lost. The prevailing wind is a help, and 

 if this is unknown, the angle of the trees and the bark 

 will denote it. Rivers, too, if their direction is known, are 

 an aid, but they usually twist more than appears on the 

 maps of this country. Perhaps the best advice is to keep 

 cool, which, of course, is easier said than done, and not 

 to indulge in aimless wandering after one knows that the 

 direction is lost. 



