CHAPTER XII.
HOW TO HAVE A "LONG HEAD."
Two hours steady walking, over logs and brush, through canebrakes,across a creek, and through a tangle of vines, brought the party tothe leaning pine tree. From that point the old sycamore tree lookednot at all as it did from the point of starting. The boys had takenpains to watch its changes of appearance, however, and were able topoint it out with certainty to Sam.
"But what's the good of knowing it now?" asked Sid Russell, "we aint agoin' back that way agin'."
"No," said Sam, "but it is necessary to know it, nevertheless. Howwould you know which way to go without it, Sid?"
"Well, I'd pick out another tree ahead an' walk towards it."
"Well, but how would you know what tree to select?"
"Why I'd take one in a line with the pine."
"Well, every tree is in a line with the pine. It depends on where youstand to take sight."
"That's so; but how's the old sycamore to help us?"
"By giving us a point to take sight from. Let me show you. Our propercourse of march is in the direction of a line drawn from the sycamoreto this pine tree. What we want to do is to prolong that line, andfind some tree further on that stands in it. If I stand on the line,between the sycamore and the pine and turn my face toward the pine,I'll be looking in exactly the right direction, and can pick out theright tree to march to, by sighting on the pine. The trouble is to getin the right place to take sight from. To do that I must find the linebetween the sycamore and the pine. Now you go over there beyond thepine, and take sight on it at the sycamore till you get the two treesin a line with you. Then I'll stand over here, between the two objecttrees, and move to the right or left as you tell me to do, till youfind that I am exactly in the line between them. Then I can pick outthe right tree ahead."
Sid did as he was told, the boys all looking on with great interest,and presently Sam had selected their next object tree. The boys wereastonished greatly at what they thought Sam's marvellous knowledge,but to their wondering comments Sam replied:--
"I haven't done anything wonderful. A little knowledge of mathematicshas helped me, perhaps, but there isn't a thing in all this that isn'tperfectly simple. Any one of you might have found out all this forhimself, without books and without a teacher. It only requires you tothink a little and to use your eyes. Besides you've all done the samething many a time."
"I'll _bet_ I never did," said Billy Bowlegs.
"Yes you have, Billy, but you did it without thinking about it."
"When?"
"Whenever you have shot a rifle at anything."
"How?"
"By taking aim. You look through one sight over the other and at thegame, and you know then that you've got it in a line with your eyeand the sights. I've only been turning the thing around, and nobodytaught me how. You've only got to _use_ your eyes and your head tomake them worth ten times as much to you as they are now."
"Seems to me," said Sid Russell, "as if your head 'n eyes, or leastways your head is a mighty oncommon good one."
"You're right dah, Mas' Sid," said Black Joe; "you're right forsartain. I'se dun see Mas' Sam do some mighty cur'ous things, I is. Hedun make a fire wid water once, sho's you're born. 'Sides dat, I'sedun heah de gentlemen say's how he's got a head more 'n a yard long,and I'm blest if I don't b'lieve it's so."
All this was said at a little distance from Sam and beyond hishearing, but he knew very well in what estimation his companions heldhim, and he was anxious to impress them, not with his own superiority,but with the fact that the difference was due chiefly to his habit ofthinking and observing. He wanted them to improve by association withhim, and to that end he took pains to show them the advantage which ahabit of observing everything and thinking about it gives itspossessor. For this reason he took pains to make no display of hisknowledge of Latin or of anything else which they had no chance tolearn. He wanted them to learn to use their eyes, their ears and theirheads, knowing very well that the greater as well as the better partof education comes by observation and thinking, rather than frombooks.
Just now he was striding forward as rapidly as he could, as it wasbeginning to rain.
"Keep your eye on the hind sight boys, and don't lose it," he cried;"we must hurry or we shall be caught in a pocket to-night."
Hour after hour they marched, the rain pouring down steadily, and theground becoming every moment softer. The walking wearied themterribly, but they pushed on in the hope that they might be able tocross the upper waters of the Nepalgah river before night. This wouldplace them on the west bank of that stream, where Sam believed that heshould find the marching tolerable. If they should fail in this, Samfeared that the water would rise during the night, and fill all thebottom lands. In that event he must continue marching down the eastbank of the river; not going very far out of his way, it is true, buthaving to pass through what he was satisfied must be a much moredifficult country than that on the other side.
Night came at last, and they were yet not within sight of the stream,notwithstanding their utmost exertions. Sam called a halt just beforedark, and selected a camping place.