The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1903-08-14
FIRE MADE WITH A GUN.
A Experfenced woodsman Tells
How . Flame May BE Started
without the Aid Of Matches.

Mr.. Hough gives me the first in
formation of the fate Of Mr.. Egan, the
railroad officer, who was lost in Mon
tana last November; since he was first
reported to be lost. have often
thought that when the snow had left
this spring his body would be found at
the bottom of one of those ravines that
cross that country in every direction.
have been in the country, and can
not call to my mind now any place In
the west, and / know the whole OF the
west pretty well, where worse place
could be found to get lost in, says
writer in Forest and Stream.
Had Mr.. Egan, when he found himself
lost, got up on as high point as he
could find, and then started fire, one
that would give plenty of smoke, he no
doubt would be alive to-day. Some OF
the parties who were out looking for
him probably passed within mile of
where his body lay frozen under the
snow, for he no doubt froze to death.
remember similar case that hap
pened many years ago. A party OF us
mounted men were out in what is now
Stonewall county, Texas, on ahunt and
scout; and while we were lying over
. day in camp a number Of mel went
on in different directions on foot to
hunt. A norther came up late in the
afternoon and at dark, when all the
men should have been back, one of
them was still missing.
1t began to snow, but only enough
snow fell to whiten the ground; but
it would be of no use for us to try to
find that man after night. We kept up
q good signal FIRE all night, but he did
not come in, and early the next morn
ing four of us, all that in our lieuten-
ants opinion could be sent without
danger of us getting lost in our turn,
were sent out, each man by himself,
to hunt up the missing man, we going
mounted.
had gone nearly six miles from
camp directly towards the Double
mountains, when Just ahead Of me, up
on the top of a rocky ridge, / noticed
q gray wolf acting rather curiously.
He seemed to be interested in some
thing down on the other side of the
ridge. sent shot at him, but missed
him, and he left. Climbing up to where
the wolf had been, found my man.
He lay just below me, and between this
ridge and a higher one. He had fallen
down of from where I stood now late
last night, he told me; then had lain
here ever since. He was not hurt much
when came to examine him. He had
found himself lost late the evening be-
fore, then had wandered around until
he had fallen here. He wars still half
frozen. and did not have energy enough
left to get up and hunt the camp.
"Why did you not start fire last
night?" i asked. Had you put one
on the side Of that hill up there, we
could have seen it and then found you.
The camp is in sight Of this HILL"
He had no matches, he said.
you did not need any; you had 4
gun and pistol. Now let me start one
for you"
had matches, but did not use them.
I took the greasy rag used for gun
stopper, then taking small piece Of
paper folded both and thrust them in
under small log; then holding my
pistol with the muzzle a few inches
away from this stun, I fired into it Just
once, then blew on it and had fire
without matches.
After had rot the man warmed up