Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

26 CAMPING AND WOODCRAFTtime.Suppose you have traveled half an hour afterleaving a known landmark. What is half an hourin the woods? A mile, say; perhaps not so much;for one does not keep up a steady jog in the wilderness;he often pauses to look or listen, and is boundto move slowly when off a beaten path.But you don't want to stay here like a numbskulland face the sly grins or open ridicule of a searchingparty? Very well, the bugaboos are fleeing. Nowtake a stick, make a bare spot on the ground, andtry to trace your probable course from the time ofleaving camp to the time you first suspected youmight be wandering astray. Mark on it the estimatedlocation of such landmarks as you noticed.If you are not altogether a tenderfoot, you will rememberhow many streams or ridges you havecrossed. Anyway, you will recall some features ofthe country you traversed. Not unlikely, whenyour mind has recovered its equipoise, you will beable to "backtrack" without much difficulty.But in any case, no matter how confident youmay be, dont take ten steps from the place whereyou are until you have marked it. If the locationis favorable for a smoke sign (in flat woods' it is ofno avail) build a fire, with enough damp or punkystuff on it to keep up a smoke for a good while, andbank it with earth so it cannot spread. Or, blazea tree on four sides—make big blazes that can beseen from any direction. Do this even though therebe several hours of daylight ahead, and although youhave no present intention of staying here; for youdo know that this spot is only so many hours fromcamp by back trail, and that you may have goodreason to return to it. This blazed tree, moreover,will be of great assistance to your camp-mates \nsearching for you, if you should not turn up laterThen take note of the lay of the land around you,the direction of its drainage, the character of itsvegetation, and the hospitalities that it offers to ajftight-bound traveler, in the way of drinking-water.