Prairie set on Fire.--This is often done as a means of offence. But when the grass is short (lower than the knee), the strip of it on fire, at the same moment, does not exceed 12 feet in width; therefore if a belt of grass of 12 feet in width be destroyed in advance of the line of fire, the conflagration will be arrested as soon as it reaches that belt. The fire will be incapable of traversing the interval narrow though it be, where there is a total absence of fuel to feed it. Travellers avail themselves of this fact in a very happy manner, when a fire in the prairie is advancing towards them, by burning a strip of grass, to the windward of their camp, of 12 feet in breadth; beating down the blaze with their blankets wherever it would otherwise extend too widely. Behind this easily constructed line of defence, the camp rests in security, and the adjacent grass remains uninjured for the use of the cattle. If, however, the wind is high and sparks are drifted for some distance beyond the belt of fire, this method is insufficient: two lines of defence should then be constructed.
Tricks upon Robbers.--It is perhaps just worth while to mention a trick that has been practised in most countries, from England to Peru. A traveller is threatened by a robber with a gun, and ordered to throw himself on the ground, or he will be fired at. The traveller taking a pistol from his belt, shouts out, "If this were loaded you should not treat me thus!" and throws himself on the ground as the robber bids him. There he lies till the robber, in his triumph, comes up for his booty; when the intended victim takes a quick aim and shoots him dead--the pistol being really loaded all the time. I have also heard of an incident in the days of Shooter's Hill, in England, where a ruffian waylaid and sprang upon a traveller, and holding a pistol to his breast, summoned him for the contents of his pocket. The traveller dived his hand into one of them, and, silently cocking a small pistol that lay in it, shot the robber dead, firing out through the side of the pocket.
Passing through a Hostile Country.--How to encamp.--A small party has often occasion to try to steal through a belt of hostile country without being observed. At such times, it is a rule never to encamp until long after sun-down, in order that people on your track may be unable to pursue it with ease. If you are pursuing a beaten path, turn sharp out of it, when you intend to encamp, selecting a place for doing so where the ground is too hard to show footprints; then travel away for a quarter of an hour, at least. Lastly, look out for a hollow place, in the midst of an open flat. Never allow hammering of any kind in your camp, nor loud talking; but there is no danger in lighting a small fire, if reasonable precautions be taken, as a flame cannot be seen far through bushes. Keep a strict watch all night: the watchers should be 100 yards out from camp, and should relieve one another, every two hours at least. Enough animals for riding, one for each man, should always be tied up, in readiness for instant use.
When riding alone.--A person who is riding a journey for his life, sleeps most safely with his horse's head tied short up to his wrist. The horse, if he hears anything, tosses his head and jerks the rider's arm. The horse is a careful animal, and there appears to be little danger of his treading on his sleeping master.
The Indians of South America habitually adopt this plan, when circumstances require extreme caution (see fig.)
To prevent your Horse from neighing.--If a troop of horsemen pass near your hiding-place, it may be necessary to clutch your steed's muzzle with both hands, to prevent his neighing.
Hurried retreat of a Party.--When a party, partly of horsemen and partly of footmen, are running away from danger as hard as they can, the footmen lay hold of the stirrup-leathers of the riders, to assist them. (See "Litters for the Wounded," p. 23.)
Securing Prisoners.--To take a strong man Prisoner singlehanded, threaten him with your gun, and compel him to throw all his arms away; then, marching him before you some little distance, make him lie flat on his face and put his hands behind him. Of course he will be in a dreadful fright, and require reassuring. Next take your knife, put it between your teeth, and, standing over him, take the caps off your gun, and lay it down by your side. Then handcuff him, in whatever way you best can. The reason of setting to work in this way is, that a quick supple savage, while you are fumbling with your strings, and bothered with a loaded gun, might easily spring round, seize hold of it, and quite turn the tables against you. But if the gun had no caps on, it would be of little use in his hands, except as a club; and also, if you had a knife between your teeth, it would be impossible for him to free himself by struggling, without exposing himself to a thrust from it.
Cord to be well stretched.--It is an imperfect security to tie an ingenious active man, whose hands and feet are small, unless the cord or whatever else you may use, had been thoroughly well stretched. Many people have exhibited themselves for money, who allowed themselves to be tied hand and foot and then to be put into a sack, whence they emerged after a few minutes, with the cords in a neat coil in their hands. The brothers Davenport were notorious for possessing this skill. They did not show themselves for half-pence at country fairs; but, by implying that they were set free by supranatural agencies, they held fashionable seances in London and created an immense sensation a few years ago. Two of these exhibitors were tied, face to face in a cupboard, respectively by two persons selected by the audience. The latter inspected one another's knots as well as they could, and on their expressing themselves satisfied, the doors of the cupboard were closed, the lights of the room were kept low for 5 or 10 minutes, until a signal was made by the exhibitors from within the cupboard; then in a blaze of gas light the doors were opened from within and out walked the two men, leaving the ropes behind them. After this, they tied themselves in their own knots; and under those easy conditions a number of so-called spiritual manifestations took place, which I need not here describe; the real curiosity of the exhibition being that which I have just explained. These exhibitions continued for months; but at length two nautical gentlemen insisted on using their own cord, which they had previously well stretched, and this proceeding utterly baffled the Davenports. Thenceforward wherever the Davenports showed themselves, the nautical gentlemen appeared also, appealing to the audience to elect them to tie the hands of the exhibitors. In this way, they fairly exposed the pretensions of the Davenports, and drove them from England. Once I was proposed by an audience to tie the hands. I did my best, and I also scrutinised my colleague's knot, as well as the confined place in which the exhibitors were tied, permitted. The cord we had to use was perhaps a little too thick, but it was supple and strong, and I was greatly surprised at the ease with which the Davenports disembarrassed themselves. They were not more than 10 minutes in getting free. Of course if either of the exhibitors could struggle loose, he would assist his colleague. It therefore struck me as an exceedingly ingenious idea of the Davenports, to have two persons, and not one person, to tie them. I considered it was very improbable that a person taken at hap-hazard should be capable of tying his man securely; and it was evident that the improbability would be increased in a duplicate ratio, that both persons should be capable. Thus if it be 20 to 1 against any one person's having sufficient skill, it is (20 by 20 or) 400 to 1 against both the persons, who might be selected to tie the Davenports, being able to do so effectively. As I have already said, the opportunity that was afforded to each of scrutinising the work of the other, was worth very little, because of the dark and confined space in which the exhibitors sat.