If you decide to keep moving, blaze your trail as you go, so that it may
be followed and also that you may know if you cross it again yourself.
You can blaze the trail by breaking or bending small branches on trees
and bushes, or by small strips torn from your handkerchief and tied
conspicuously on twigs. If you are where there are no trees or
undergrowth, build small piles of stones or little hills of earth at
intervals to mark your trail.

If night overtakes you, look for the _North Star_. That will help if you
know at what point of the compass your camp lies, and if you remember
whether your course in leaving camp was to the north, south, east, or
west, you can calculate pretty accurately whether the camp is to the
north, south, east, or west of you.

In case the night must be spent where you are, go about making a
shelter, prepare as comfortable a bed as possible, and do _not_ be
afraid. You will probably be found before morning, and you must be found
in good physical condition.

If you can kindle a fire, do it; that will help to guide your friends
and will ward off wild creatures that might startle you. Keep your fire
going all night and take care that it does not spread.

It is better to remain quietly in one spot all night than to wander
about in the dark and perhaps stumble upon dangerous places. If, when
you find the points of the compass by the _North Star_, you mark them
plainly on a stone or fallen log, they will be a ready guide for you as
soon as daylight breaks.

The last word on this subject is: _Do not be afraid_.


=To Find Your Way by the North Star=

At night you will have the same reliable guide that has ever been the
mariner's friend, and if you do not know this star guide, lose no time
in finding it.

Polaris or pole-star is known generally as North Star, and this star is
most important to the outdoor girl. At all times the North Star marks
the north, its position never changes, and seeing that star and _knowing
it_, you will always know the points of the compass. Face the North
Star and you face the north. At your right hand is the east, at your
left hand is the west, and at your back is the south.

The North Star does not look very important because it is not very
bright or very large, and were it not for the help of the Big Dipper,
which every one knows, the North Star would not be easy to find. The
diagram given on page 37 shows the relative position of the stars and
will help you to find the North Star. The two stars forming the front
side of the bowl of the Great Dipper point almost in a direct line to
the North Star, which is the last one in the handle of the Little
Dipper, or the tail of the Little Bear, which means the same thing.




CHAPTER III

CAMPING

=Camp Sites. Water. Wood. Tents. Shelters. Lean-Tos. Fires. Cooking.
Safety and Protection. Sanitation. Camp Spirit.=


=Information=

Whether your camp is to be for one day, one week, or a longer period of
time, the first question to be decided is: "Where shall we go?" If you
know of no suitable spot, inquire of friends, and even if they have not
personally enjoyed the delights of camping and sleeping in the open, one
or more of them will probably know of some acquaintance who will be glad
to give the information. Write to the various newspapers, magazines,
railroads, and outdoor societies for suggestions. The Geological Survey
of the United States at Washington, D. C., will furnish maps giving
location and extent of forests and water-ways, also location and
character of roads; you can obtain the maps for almost any part of every
State. Most public automobile houses supply maps of any desired region.
Send letters of inquiry to these sources of information, and in this way
you will probably learn of many "just the right place" localities.
Select a number of desirable addresses, investigate them, and make your
own choice of location, remembering that the first three essentials for
a camp are good ground, water, and wood; the rest is easy, for these
three form the foundation for camping.


=Location=

Wherever you go, choose a dry spot, preferably in an open space near
wooded land. Avoid hollows where the water will run into your shelters
in wet weather; let your camp be so located that in case of rain the
water will drain down away from it. Remember this or you may find your
camp afloat upon a temporary lake or swamp should a storm arise.


=Water=

Pure drinking water you _must_ have, it is of _vital_ importance, so be
sure to pitch your camp within near walking distance of a good spring, a