<TITLE>06. Par 17-20</TITLE>L-17 It reminds me of an experience of years ago. I don't know whether I ever told you or not. I was in Northern British Columbia on a hunting trip, and I was out into the woods one night. I thought I was a pretty fair woodsman, raised in the woods all my life. And I got turned around, and I'd been chasing an old bear, and I wanted to get some pictures of him and so forth. I didn't have a license to shoot the bear 'cause I was goat hunting, but I wanted to get close to this grizzly. He was a beautiful animal, and I wished to have his picture.
And on a little young horse of about three years old that had an ambition that he wanted to pile a preacher off of him for... And then he'd tried all day long to throw me as I'd spurred him through the blow-downs and so forth, to kinda catch up with this bear.

L-18 And I had got into a place to where I had got turned around. And on my road back, knowing general directions... Was raised to know the moss on the north side of the tree. Or if there's no moss, close your eyes and take a hold of the tree and move around the tree with the bark in your hand until you find a thick place, and that's the north side. So there's many things you have to know in the woods if you survive.
And that's the same thing it is if you survive spiritually. You have to know Him Who is the Creator and Who leads you and teaches you.
And then I noticed as I come up and got my bearings, and I started back the general direction. 'Cause you'd go--you could go hundreds of miles without seeing a--a living thing. Getting my general directions to know that some... After while I'd catch into the top of the--of a mountain there that I'd find my way back that night.

L-19 I was amazed as it'd been raining that afternoon, and storming, partly be... Caused me to be turned around. But the clouds were clearing, and there were great white clouds in the sky that the moon shining down beautifully. And I stopped in an old blow-down. I don't... a burn over, rather. I don't know whether you people here in the city would know what a burn over was. It's where a sweeping fire with a wind behind it sweeps through the forest and--and it kills everything. Many times the tree remains standing but it's burnt the bark. After while the little termites will get into the bark, but the fire will taste the tree and the bark falls off, the termites eats it. But the old tree stands there as a bleak snag, no lifeline in it, no sap ring and so forth. And it dies because the sap ring, of course, comes through the bark.

L-20 Now, as I stood there, and I was amazed as I tied my horse... The little fellow was very tired and I just felt somehow definitely led to stop for a few minutes. And I tied up my horse, and I got over there. I was looking up at the moon, and I said, "Father God, I am so happy to know that You are my Father. Into this beautiful country to which I am now permitted to come on this hunting trip to look at Your animals and the things that You have made for my joy, and how I thank Thee for these." And only as you could see British Columbia, a woodsman or a hunter could appreciate, and there looking at those beautiful things.
Then I begin to notice a peculiarity. It was a noise that it seemed to be so weary. And the winds were blowing as it had blowed away the storm. And as the clouds passed over, little what we call "buttermilk skies," them little blotches in it, and of white clouds. But the moon shining down, the wind blowing, a real weary noise set in, like a mournful noise, moaning, groaning, oooh. As the moon shined upon the bleak trees, it looked like tombstones. And that mournful noise, oooh, what a horrible thing. And I said, "Now, I wonder what all this means?"


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