Mohave County miner., 1891-03-07
PERILS OF THE FOREST.
1T IS SoMETfMEs AN EASY
THING TO GET LOST.
Madness Rssdlts and 10 the BewiIdered
Mind OF the Lost Hunter Streams
Seem TO BE Running tho
Wrong Way.


Getting lost In the woods il one OF
those experiences which are pleasant
TO laugh over afterward, but at the
same time are serious enough. The
almost indeseribable feeling that comes
over one, the utter helplessness
OF the situation, the momentary loss
OF ones vitality and power 70 act which
follow upon the consciousness that one
Is lost are very real and very disagree
able sensations.
One summer, or rather, early In the
fall says writer in the Chicago Her
aid, was one Of party camping on a
small lake In the Adirondacks. We
were in the habit Of hunting every day,
and on this particular morning tum-
bled out Of my bed Of pine boughs as
usual at about 6 o'clock, and having
washed down a bite Of under-done
trout with a cup OF execrable coffee
set out for the pond which was my ac-
customed watching ground, distant
about two miles. II was a damp and
dreary morning, the rain dripping slow
ly and silently in a kind OF mist and
resting on the landscape like the cling
Ing folds Of a shroud. As tramped
along through the silent isles OF the
mighty forest, no sound broke the still
ness save the monotonous 'champ
champ Of the water which had some
how managed TO trickle into my boots,
and my thoughts wandered of to other
things. When at last l looked about
me thought / had wandered a few
steps from the trail, as sometimes hap
pened, when l would easily regain it.
But not as easily this time. Short
breaks In the forest led now this way,
now that, hkeso many will-o' -the-W Wisps,
but these trails started nowhere and
led nowhere.
Ever faster hurried on, stumbling
and scrambling under and over fallen
trees, bringing down showers Of rain
from the boughs above, until ended
up by stopping, painting and frightened
with the conviction that / was lost!
With trembling hand ! loaded my gun
and fired 1t. A muhied echo was my
only reward. II was OF no use, OF
course, but | knew from what / had
read that it was the proper thing to do.
My next resource was 10 climb a tree
In the hope Of spying some lake Or
pond by which l might locate ray
whereabouts. All about me stretcbe ed
the mist, concealing hill and water
alike. A compass / had neglected. to
provide myself with, knowing thit !
would have plain trail all the way.
1 decided 10 make systematic ses rch
for the trail, using my tree as celrter
10 which might return In case Of iail-
ure and start off in a new direction.
Choosing the direction opposite to
that in which / thought the trail lay,
made a very laborious and distinct
path by breaking down the under
brush, whiting "blszesr on the trees
with jackknife and tying hand
kerchief and nccktie in conspicuous
places, in order that ! might find my
way back 70 the tree for fresh start.
As it happened, / was On the right
track at last and soon reached the
original trail. went back and got
my gun and gathered up the articles Of
apparel which / had made use Of /
had been lost perhaps half an hour and
had strayed from the trail probably
not more than three hundred yards,
yet i had been lost as thoroughly as II
i had been in the midst Of virgin
forest, and it was only by the merest
chance that / found my way out as
easily as did.
i have seldom felt as happy as when
i stood In the middle Of the newly
found trail and tossed up coin to see
which direction / should take. Luck
favored me again, and after short
tramp reached the ford where was
10 watch. And now / was rewarded in
some measure for the difficulty had
had In reaching II by one Of the most
curious and interesting sights i had
ever witnessed. The pond was still
covered with a thick bank Of mist. but
after time IL lifted at one corner and
showed the water black and still be-
meath. Soon the bare space widened
and broadened and a breath Of wind
rippled the surface gently and pressed
back the fog very gradually toward the
other end OF the lake. And then the
sun broke through the clouds above.
the breeze freshened and the cloud bank
below slowly and majestically retired
before the host Of the day, leaving a
smiling expanse of blue water, spark
ling and ripping In the sunlight.
When j reached camp my companions
asked me what ] had fired at in the
voods-and replied that ! was only
trying my gun.
That was a good many years ago.
but never start out now without TAX
ing compass with me, and paying
more attention 10 the trail. 1t is a
curious fact, though, that man lost in
the woods will refuse TO trust his com
pass If it points contrary TO his notion.
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