92 BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA denly the dark ground ten feet ahead of me turned gray. I could not make it out, so went cautiously nearer. I lay down, reached forth, and then slowly made sure that we were on the edge of a steep precipice. I backed off, and frankly told the men I did not know where we were. I got out my match-box and com- pass and found I had but one match left.
- ' Any of you got any matches? " I asked. " No; left 'em all
in our coats," was their answer. " Well," said I, " I have one. Shall I use it to get a new course from the compass, or shall we make a fire and stay here till morning? " All voted to camp for the night. There was now a cold rain. We groped into a hollow where we got some dead wood, and by using our knives got some dry chips from the inside of a log. When all was ready we gathered close around, and I got out the one match. I was about to strike it when the younger of the men said : '* Say, Seton, you are not a smoker; Jack is. Hadn't you bet- ter give him that match ? " There was sense in this. I have never in my life smoked. Jack was an old stager and an adept with matches. I handed it to him. " Rrrp — Hsz " — and in a minute we had a fire. With the help of the firelight we now found plenty of dead wood; we made three blazing fires side by side, and after an hour we removed the centre one, then raked away all the hot ashes, and all lay down together on the warm ground. When the morning came the rain ceased. We stretched our stiffened limbs and made for camp. Yes, there it was in plain view two miles away across a fearful canon. Three steps more on that gloomy night and we should have been over the edge of that cafion and dashed to the botton.
