The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1864-11-04

log, Dy observing and writing down the
directions in which be rides, and the time
and estimated distances, else he may want
der away from all help. His object, if he
can retrace his own tracks, is to ride in 3
circle until the path of the caravan is
crossed. He calculates coolly how far at
the utmost he can be from his party, and
makes this distance the radius of his cir
Gle or ''cast;'' then if he rides on one side
hoping to obtain some clue, and does not,
be will ride back again iu sloping direc.
ton, and regain the circle further on.-
This is what our ingenious friend was
used to do at s'checks" in our ''paper-
chases' at school, and it comes quite nat
uralato him. He will even recognize his
bearings by the sand, which runs in
pretty fixed direction, owing to the preva-
lence Of particular wind; by the wind
itself, if it happen to be blowing; OF by
the s'als-although they are most difficult
guides of all,
Again, it is probable intense thirst will
soon make itself felt. / should myself
long for hook and soda-water, and vainly
regret that ever left my club in Pail
Mall but our solitary friend INDUCES in
no such idle repinings, bu. steadily watch
es the evening flight of birds, which his
experience of natural history tells him are
sure guides to where water is. Ii show.
er falls, while | stand with my mouth open
catching but a teaspoonful, my born Rob
insnn Crusoe strips his clothes off, and
makes reservoir of them J.; aai, moreover,
he knows that even to stand stripped in
shower of rama thing which mere con-
ventional terror of the police would never
suffer me to dds itself great satisfer
of thirst. Then for eating: chops and
potatoes, Of course, are unprucurab!e; but
ones sandals, or skim clothing, are not to
be despised when nicely Drowned. To
cook them, however, it is absolutely ne
cessary to procure light; and here comes
iu my gentleman of the glow.worms.-
The common" way (not that I should
ever think Of i) is, it seems, to put
quarter of charge of powder into ones
gun, and aboveit, quite loosely, quanti-
ty Of finder. But if one has no gun =
Well, then, my Dazzler reflects that the
object glass of his telescope is in itself
burning glass, and only requires to be un-
screwed for use even his watch glass,
filled with water, will serve the same pur-
pose nay, the crystalline lens of a dead
animals eye has lit fire, and saved a
life ere now | think see myself ex-
tracing a dead animals eye, with the
faintest hope of producing such result y
When that preliminary is accomplished,
it is easy for him (but not for everybody
to kiudle spark into u flame by blow
ing.
Suppose, then, our ingenious friend has
eaten and drunk and warmed himself, how
does he procure himself bed F.? In the
desert there i, not much choice of situation;
but anywhere else, know what | should
do. | should look out for tree, and, in
default of spring-mattress, make myself
as much at home, under its protection, as
| could. But the man l despised in my
youth does no such foolish thing. He
knows that, as soon as he lies down, the
tree will be worthless as screen it is
roof, but not wall. What he wants is
ga dense low screen, perfectly wind-tight,
as high up as the knee above the ground"
For this purpose he turns up a broad sod,
seven feet long by two feet wide; and if
can succeed in propping it up on its edge,
is happy man aud householder. A
great traveller, who ought to have been
born in the Druidical era, and taught all
our counsrymen the art of sleeping, re
marks of this particular kind of bivouac:
at is great comfort to have scrsped
little hollow in the ground, just where the
hip-bone would otherwise press But
this man is a Sybarite. Let us rather lis.
ten to more severe adviser, who never
lets 60 his gun. Always, says be, 'if you
would be safe as we'll as luxurious, sleep
with you rife between your legs. The
butt rests on the arm, and serves as a pill
low for the head I; the muzzle points be-
tween the knees, aud the arms encirele
the lock and breech, so that you have a
smooth pillow, and are prepared to start
up armed at moments notice" l
should think one was also rather liable to
shoot ones SELF But what au unctuous-
ness there is in this gentleman's style -
"a smooth pillow" and "one's arms encir.
liug'-the lock of rife
However, all honor to these brave and
ingenious men; for it is seldom, indeed,
that their talents meet with any credit.
having such little scope in these times for
their exercise. Upon the prairie and in
the solitary forest, they are kings of III en-,
but in the civilized world their peculiar viz
tues are useless, and therefore uurecog-
uized. Ooe never fuds out-here at home
the excellence that is in them, except,
perhaps, ut some picnic party, where the
corkscrew, as usual, being left behind,
they as.onish the company by extracting
corks with a silk Internationally
most wonderful performance. AT the
conventional dinner.t able, they are dumb
les, aud do not distinguish themselves in
any way, save at dessert, when they s,nuse