88 WAITING IN THE WILDERNESS 



in watching closely for the star I walked off a 

 bank. It seemed as though I had stepped into a 

 canon. But it was only a gully about five feet 

 wide and about as deep. Uninjured, I climbed 

 out and went on, but I added gullies to my plains 

 woodcraft. 



In a little while all stars were shut out by 

 clouds. I went on more slowly so as not to 

 stumble or step overboard again. I might be 

 going too far to the right or to the left. If I was 

 I might walk all night and still be as far from 

 water as when I started. 



Suddenly something leaped to its feet and 

 dashed through the sagebrush on my left. It 

 sounded like an elephant. I turned to see what 

 this was and took a header over a bunch of sage, 

 landing in a pile of tumbleweed. This reminded 

 me. Here were guides weeds drifted against 

 the sage by prevailing westerly winds and sand 

 in shelter to the leeward. From these I easily 

 faced north and went on across the plains. 



At intervals far off in the north I saw a dim 

 light, perhaps a camp-fire. It strangely ap- 

 peared to be as distant as a star. It disappeared 

 and reappeared as my viewpoint changed a 

 number of times. As it was straight into the 

 north I had begun to use it as a guide when it 

 grew dim and then faded. From time to time 

 I came upon sage clumps. I checked directions 



