Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-10-17
HOW HE FOUND HIS WAY OUT.
A Prospector's Experience of Desert
Travel

Youths Companion-"The craze to
find metal is a funny thing" said
the old prospector 81 always had it,
and once, in British Columbia, away
north, it gave me a close call l was
alone when l got as far as the last
settlement There were four Indians
and fur trader there. They all ad-
but like a good many others, thought
was wiser than the natives, and l
only meant to go a few miles. There
was nothing to do but foot it, and
carry your provisions and blankets on
your back.
"The country was as fiat as floor
and bald and smooth as my head, with
no landmarks. The only way l could
get direction was by the sun and stars.
When l had been out for about two
days my provisions were nearly gone.
was going to turn back and make
dash for the settlement. All day long
gray cloud had been moving up from
the west very slowly. I suppose it
was coming on so slow I didn't realize
what it meant to be without the sun
to guide me. There wasn't even
blade of grass on that desert, nor liv-
ing thing, nor stone sticking up. The
clouds kept bending over more and
more, and finally they closed down
over me like trap.
'T shall never forget the lonesome
ness of that place, and how, when
ever I stopped walking, would strain
and strain my ears without hearing
thing but the thump of my own heart.
But | thought was all right, and kept
on walking toward the settlement,
steadily, until it was nearly night?
Then I saw something white a few
yards off to one side. In one gasp
the breath went out of me. The white
thing was bit of cracker l had drop
ped when I had eaten my lunch!
81 sat down and tried to think
knew it was no use to walk that way
any further. I began to think my
bones would whiten out there on the
tarrens, but finally went to sleep. In
the morning was crazy with hunger.
ate my last piece of bareback, and
nearly all day l walked aimlessly, hop
ing TO find some landmark. There was
no sleep in me that night. Whenever
| shut my eyes l could see nothing but
a great fiat plain with line across it
the straightest line you ever saw.
''Well, it was that crazy notion that
saved my life. 1t suddenly occurred
To thof I'm
this desert. When it was getting light
in the morning there were few min
utes when I could see which side Of
the circle was east. by the glimmer
through the clouds. So I worked with
my sheath-knife till had built little
come. The moment I saw the glim-
mer and had the direction I ran to-
ward the south a hundred yards or
so and built another pile; then 1 ran
hundred yards more, sighting back
across the two piles, and built third.
They were only little piles of dirt, but
they looked like towers on the desert.
Cali that day l built piles Of earth
southwark until l lost count, and the
next day when l saw the glimmer of
morning I new I had the right direc-
ton. Toward night I struck dogs
track, and finally I sighted a clump
of trees and a group of cabins. fired
my revolver several times, until saw
two men on horseback coming out to
me; then l swung down on my knees
and fell over, fiat on my face.
cit was several weeks before I could
close my eyes at night without sight
ing along little piles of earth"