Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 233, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 September 1913 — GETTING OUT OF THE WOODS [ARTICLE]

GETTING OUT OF THE WOODS

Simple Rules to Be Observed If One Has the Misfortune to Btray * From the Camp. If you discover that you are lost in the woods, sit down and think calmly back over the road you have traveled, trying to decide where the camp should lie. Then, if you have your compass, and it seems to agree with your Judgment, stick faithfully to that direction. Even if you are wrong in your decision, it is better to keep on in one direction, because you may fall in with some stream, and can follow it to a human habitation. * If you have no compass, the sun is an excellent guide during the day. Should the sky be overcast, place the point of your knife-blade on the nail of your thumb; turn slowly until the full shadow of the blade obscures the nail, and you have discovered where the sun is. You can discover the points of the compass in other ways; t-y noticing that the tops of the tall trees incline to the north; that the leaves of trees are generally closer on the south side; that their branches are shorter and more Irregular on the north side. To prevent getting into the circle habit break off branches of the bushes you pass. Start a fire, if your match safe is with you—as it should be, Remember that a fire piles up with damp wood makes a dense smoke, and x quickly attracts attention. Two fires going at once, one a little removed from the other, constitute a well-known signal of distress among woodsmen. The firing of t£ree shots in succession—two at first, then a pause, then the third shot —is another recognized signal, if you happen to have a gun.—Woman’s Home Companion.