He and his small party of natives scattered at once into the darkness and hid themselves away in the long grass. Selous himself had snatched up his rifle and a few cartridges and got safely into the grass. But he could not find any of his men, and, seeing that the enemy had taken possession of his camp, and that there were still a few hours of darkness before him in which to make his escape, he started off southward, using the stars of the Southern Cross as his guide.
He crept past an outpost of the enemy whom he overheard talking, then swam across a river and finally got well away, only dressed in a shirt, shorts, and shoes. For the next few days and nights he kept walking southward, frequently hiding 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. 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, 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 was a man who as a lad had made himself strong by care and exercise. 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 and not be a slopper, you must train yourself to be strong, healthy, and active as a lad.
The Wrong Way to Endurance
A man told me recently with great pride that he was teaching his son endurance by making him do long marches and bicycle runs. I told the man that he was likely to do just the opposite for his boy—that the way for a lad to gain endurance was not by trying to perform feats, as these would very probably injure his heart and break him down, but by making himself strong and healthy, by good feeding and moderate exercise, so that when he became a man and his muscles were all “set” he could then go through hardships and strains where another weaker man would fail.
Exercises and their Object
There is a great deal of nonsense done 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 exercises of the body do it for you. This is the way:
(a) MAKE THE HEART STRONG 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 220.
(b) MAKE THE LUNGS STRONG to provide the blood with fresh air. Exercise: “Deep Breathing.” See page 210.
(c) MAKE THE SKIN PERSPIRE to get rid of the dirt from the blood. Exercise: Bath, or dry rub with a damp towel every day.
(d) MAKE THE STOMACH WORK to feed the blood. Exercise: “Cone,” or “Body Bending” and “Twisting.” See pages 210
and 211.
(e) MAKE THE BOWELS ACTIVE to remove the remains of food and dirt from the body. Exercise: “Body Bending” and “Kneading the Abdomen.” Drink plenty of good water. Regular daily “rear.'
(f) WORK MUSCLES IN EACH PART OF THE BODY to make the blood circulate to that part, and so increase your strength.
Exercise: Running and Walking and special exercises of special muscles, such as “Wrist Pushing” (page 220), etc.
The secret of keeping well and healthy is to keep your blood clean and active. These different exercises will do that if you will use them every day.
The blood thrives on simple good food, plenty of exercise, plenty of fresh air, cleanliness of the body both inside and out, and proper rest of body and mind at intervals.
Six Exercises for Health
It is possible for almost any boy, even though he may be small and weak, to make himself into a strong and healthy man if he takes the trouble to do a few body exercises every day. They only take about ten minutes, and do not require any kind of apparatus.
They should be practised every morning, the first thing on getting up, and every evening before going to bed. It is best to do them with little or no clothing on, and in the open air, or close to an open window. The value of these exercises is much increased if you think of the object of each move while you are doing it, and if you are very particular to breathe the air in through your nose
and to breathe out through your mouth.
Here are some good exercises. It strengthens the toes and feet to do them barefooted.
1. For Head and Neck—Rub the head, face, and neck firmly over several times with the palms and fingers of both hands. Thumb the muscles of the neck and throat.
Brush your hair, clean your teeth, wash out your mouth and nose, drink a cup of cold water, and then go on with the following exercises.
The movements should all be done as slowly as possible.
2. For Chest—From upright position bend to the front, arms stretched downwards, with back of the hands together in front of the knees. Breathe out.
Raise the hands gradually over the head and lean back as far as possible, drawing a deep breath through the nose as you do— that is, drinking God’s air into your lungs and blood. Lower the arms gradually to the sides,
