Just then I felt Something touch me on my shoulder, a hand, it felt like a man's hand, so, quickly I turned around to look. There was nobody standing there. I thought, “What was that?” Here's the Bible laying before me. God, my Guide and Judge, is standing here. I just looked up. And right back this way, that fog just cleared back till I could see the tower on top of Hurricane Mountain. Going right straight away from it, the best of my hunting ability, I was going away from it, getting real late in the evening then. I turned real quick, directing myself like this. I took hold of my hat and raised up my hands, I said, “Guide me over, God, You're my Guide.”

I started. I had to go right straight up bluffs and everything getting there, later and later. Then it got dark. Deers was jumping in front of me, and everything. I couldn't think of nothing but keeping myself one way, right up this mountain.

And I know if I could get to the tower, Mr. Denton and I…I helped put the line up that spring. We tacked the telephone wire from the Hurricane Mountain, all the way down about three and a half or four miles, right down to the camp. And it went right down a little trail, but, the snow on there, you couldn't tell the trail. See? And the wind blowing and everything, it was dark and blizzard and, going, you couldn't tell where you was at. Well, the only thing I knew to do, after it got dark, and I didn't know…I know I was going one way, and right up the mountain. Cause I was supposed to go up the mountain, and the tower set right at the top of the mountain, and I had about six miles to get to it. Just think, that fog clearing back, six miles, just one hole, till I could see it!

And then I—I'd pack my rifle in this hand, and hold this hand up, ’cause I had tacked the—the wire on the trees like that going down, the telephone wires to the cabin, so he could talk to his wife, and then call out from there, from the mountain. And I was going to help him take it down that fall. And I had my hand up like this, saying, “O God, let me touch that line.” Walk, and my arm would get so sore, tired, I couldn't hardly hold it, and I'd have to let it down. And I'd change the gun and put it in that; step back a couple steps so I'd be sure not to miss it, then raise my hand up, start walking, walking. Getting late, dark, wind blowing. Oh, I'd grab a hold of a limb, I'd say, “That's it! No, that's not it.” Oh, it give…Don't let it give an uncertain sound.

After while, when I just about ready to give up, my hand hit something. Oh, my! I had been found, when I was lost. I held to that wire. I dropped the rifle right down, took my hat off of my head, and I stood there. I said, “O God, what a feeling it is to be found, when you're lost.” I said, “Right down to the end of this wire, I'll never turn it loose. I'll hold onto this wire. It'll guide me right straight to where all on this earth that's dear to me is laying, right down there. My wife and baby, frantically, not knowing where I am, not knowing how to make a fire, not knowing what to do, and winds blowing, and limbs popping and falling off of trees.” I was daresn't to let go of that wire. I held that wire until it guided me right in to where all that was dear on earth was to me.

62-1014e - "A Guide"