<TITLE>28. Par 98-101</TITLE>L-98 And I remember one time, I was lost up in the mountains. And there's when... I--I thought I was too good a woodsman to ever be lost. But I really got lost. And my wife was with me, and Billy Paul was a little baby. And they... I left them. And I went...
I went to hunt a bear. You see? And I was hunting bear. And I--and I run into a big buck deer across there. I'd shot this buck, and I thought, "Well, I'd better get back." And I know I'd come down... I was up in the Adirondack. And I went up the mountain like this, and I... Something crossed the road. And it was a--it was a mountain lion. And he just laid his ears back. And just before he--I got my gun up quick enough to shoot, he got away. You see? And Meda had never been in the woods in her life. See? And...
Well, it was on that honeymoon time. See? And I worked a good one there. You see? The same time I got married, then I, you know, I taken her on our honeymoon and go hunting the same time. You see? So--so--so I... And I--I thought, "Well now, now how did I go?" I... And I come up this a way, and turned down, and went over, and hit a ledge, and went down through a little pocket. I knowed I was down towards the giant somewhere, towards the Canadian side, but I didn't know just where it was at. And it come up a storm.

L-99 And all at once, you know, them snow storms. And oh, the fog was so low, you couldn't even see your hand before you. And that's when you--in them country, you better set down if you don't know where you're at. 'Cause you'll die right there. See? And just get you a place, and holed up, and get something to eat, and wait for a day or two till the storm is over. And then get out and see where you are at.
So, I couldn't holed up. Meda was in the woods, and never been in the woods before, in a little lean-to, not even a door to it, just, you know, it was a little lean-to, like that. So, there I was in that shape. And oh, my. I got, went right, started right up like this. And I thought, "Well, I turned off up here somewhere." And I come right back to where I shot the deer. I took off again, and I said, "I got to find my way out of here. My wife and baby will die in the woods." See?

L-100 And it turning cold. And that fog ripping through, which was going to be snow in just a little bit. You see? And I started up again, and I come back to the deer again. Done it three times. Well, I knew then... I said, "Well, I--I'm going... I--I'm somewhere..."
See, now the Indian calls that the death walk. You're on a flat place, and you're walking around and around in circles. See? Now, with a compass, you wouldn't do that. See? But you're walking around in a circle. The Indian calls it, you're on the death walk. See? 'Cause you just get frantic then. That's when they lose their mind and start running, screaming, and everything. Until they finally plunge over a cliff or something and get killed, or either kill themselves.

L-101 And then, I--I remember I said, "Well, I'm going right straight." I--I...?... And I got kinda delirious, and I thought, "Set down. Why, you old fool. You know you're not lost. You--you can't get lost." You see? And I kept saying that. Well that, see it--it just wasn't there. When there is something that isn't there, you can't bluff it, you know. Just like...
And so, I said, "Well, I'm not lost. I know exactly where I am. Sure. I come right in this a way. That's exactly right." Going along talking to myself like that, you know, and just a sweating as hard as I could. Now, if I'd been by myself, I'd just went over somewhere, and pulled in a little place, and waited till the storm was over. Maybe a day or two, but would been all right. Got me a piece of my deer and let her go. You see? But you couldn't do that, and the wife in the woods. And they were in the woods. Why, they'd die that night. They wouldn't know how to take care of themselves in the woods. See?


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