He crept past an outpost of the enemy whom he overheard talking, and then swam across a river and finally got well away, only dressed in a shirt, and shorts and shoes. For the next few days and nights he kept walking southward, having frequently to hide to avoid hostile natives. He shot deer for food.
But one night going into what he thought was a friendly village he had his rifle stolen from him, and was again a fugitive without any means of protecting himself or of getting food. However, he was not one to give in while there was a chance of life left, and he pushed on and on till at length he reached a place where he met some of his men who had also escaped, and after further tramping they got safely back into friendly country.
But what a terrible time they must have had!
Three weeks had passed since the attack, and the great part of that time Selous had been alone—hunted, starving, and bitterly cold at night, and in sweltering heat by day.
None but a scout with extraordinary endurance could have lived through it, but then Selous is a man who as a lad had made himself strong by care and exercise; and he neither drinks nor smokes. And he kept up his pluck all the time.
It shows you that if you want to get through such adventures safely when you are a man you must train yourself up to be strong, healthy, and active as a lad.
EXERCISES AND THEIR OBJECT.
There is a great deal of nonsense in fashion in the way of bodily exercises; so many people seem to think that their only object is to make huge muscle. But to make yourself strong and healthy it is necessary to begin with your inside and to get the blood into good order and the heart to work well; that is the secret of the whole thing, and physical exercises should be taken with that intention. This is the way to do it:
(a) Make the heart strong, in order to pump the blood properly to every part of the body and so to build up flesh, bone, and muscle.
Exercise: The "Struggle" and "Wrist Pushing." See Page [219].