keep them at least
fifty feet apart, or the wind will confuse them. Two shots or two
smokes are usually understood to mean "I am in trouble." Those in camp
on seeing this should send up one smoke, which means, "Camp is here."

If you have a dog or a horse with you, you may depend upon it he can
bring you out all right; but usually you will have to rely on
yourself. The simplest plan, when there is fresh snow and no wind, is
to follow your own track back. No matter how far around or how crooked
it may be, it will certainly bring you out safely.

If you are sure of the general direction to the camp and determined to
keep moving, leave a note pinned on a tree if you have paper; if not,
write with charcoal on a piece of wood, and also make a good smoke, so
that you can come back to this spot if you choose. But make certain
that the fire cannot run, by clearing the ground around it and by
banking it around with sods. And mark your course by breaking or
cutting a twig every fifty feet. You can keep straight by the sun, the
moon, or the stars, but when they are unseen you must be guided by the
compass. I do not believe much in guidance by what are called nature's
compass signs. It is usual to say, for example, that the north side of
the tree has the most moss or the south side the most limbs, etc.
While these are true in general, there are so many exceptions that
when alarmed and in doubt as to which is north, one is not in a frame
of mind to decide with certainty on such fine points.

If a strong west wind, for example, was blowing when you left camp,
and has blown ever since, you can be pretty sure it is still a west
wind; but the only safe and certain natural compass guides are the
sun, moon, and stars.

The Pole or North Star, and the Great Bear (also called the Dipper and
the Pointers), should be known to every boy as they are to every
Indian. The Pointers always point out the {69} Pole-star. Of course,
they go around it once in twenty-four hours, so this makes a kind of
clock.

The stars, then, will enable you to keep straight if you travel. But
thick woods, fog, or clouds are apt to come up, and without something
to guide you are sure to go around in a circle.

Old woodsmen commonly follow down the streams. These are certain to
bring you out somewhere; but the very worst traveling is along the
edges of the streams, and they take you a long way around. All things
considered, it is usually best to stay right where