The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-04-08
Indian Trailers = Their Astonishing
Powers.
Correspondence of the Hudson Starr
U. s. A, PosT HOSPITAL,
FORT RANDALL, DACoTA TER, :


Feb. IL, 1869.
THE most extraordinary skill that is
exhibited in this part of the country, either
by the white man or red native, is in the
practise of trailing. Here it may be &C.
counted an art as much as music, painting
or sculpture is in the East. The Indian or
trapper that is shrewd trailer is a man
of close observation, quick perception and
prompt action. AS he goes along, nothing
escapes his observation, and what he sees
and hears he accounts for Immediately.
Often not another step is taken until a
mystery that may present itself in this
line is fairly solved. The Indian trailer
will stand still for hours in succession, to
account for certain traces or effects in
tracks, and sometimes give to the mat
ter unremitting attention for days and
weeks
The trailer is not graceful man. He
carries his head much inclined, his eye is
quick and restless, always on the watch,
and he is practising mis- art unconsciously,
hardly ever crossing the track of man or
animal without seeing it. When he enters
a house, he brings the habits he contracted
in the practise of his art with him. /
know a trailer as soon as he enters my
softly, and with an air of exceeding eau
ton. Before he is fairly in, or at least
has sat down, he has taken note of every
article and person, though there may be a
dozen vacant chairs in the room. He is
not used to chairs, and, like the Indian,
prefers more humble seat. When was
employed by General Harvey last summer
to take charge temporarily Of the Indians
that were gathered here to form new
reservation, one day guide and trailer
came into the Generals headquarters. /
told him to be seated. He sat down on
the floor, bracing his back against the wall.
The General saw this, and in vexation
cried out, "My God, why don't you take
chair, when there are plenty here
not occupied?" The man arose and seated
himself in chair, but in so awkward and
if he might slip from it at any moment.
But when this uncouth person came to
transact his business with the General he
turned out to be man OF no ordinary
abilities. His description of route as
guide and trailer for the Ogallahs in bring
ing them from the Platte to this place was
minute, and to me exceedingly interesting.
Every war party that for the season had
crossed his trail, he described with minute
ness as to their number, the kind of arms
they had, and stated the tribes they be-
longed to. In these strange revelations
that he made there was neither imposition
nor supposition, for he gave satisfactory
reasons for every assertion he made.
I have ridden several hundred miles
with an experienced guide and trailer,
Hack. whom / interrogated on many
points in the practise of this art. Nearly
all the tracks l saw, either old or new, as
a novice in the art, l questioned him
about. In going to the NiObrara river we
crossed the track of an Indian pony. My
guide followed the track few miles and
then said, at is stray, black horse, with
a long. bushy tail, nearly starved to death,
has a split hoof of the left fore foot, and
goes yery lame, and he passed here early
this morning" Astonished and incredu-
lous, I asked him the reasons for knowing
these particulars by the tracks of the ami
NAL. when he replied;
"It was a stray horse, because it did not
90 in direct line; his tail was long, for
he dragged it over the snow in brushing
against q bush he left some of his hair,
which shows its color. He was very hun
CRY, for, in going along, he has nipped at
those high. dry weeds, which horses sell
dom eat. The fissure of the left fore foot
left, also, its track, and the depth of the
indentation shows the degree of his lame
ness; and mis- tracks show he was here
this morning, when the snow was hard
with frost"
At another place we came across an In
dian track, and he said, at is an old Yank-
ton, who came across the Missouri last
evening to look at his traps. In coming
over he carried in his right hand trap,
and in his left lassO to catch pony with
he had lost. He returned without finding
the horse, but had caught in the trap
he had out prairie wolf, which he car
ried home on his back and bundle of
kinikinic wood in his right hand" Then,
he gave his reasons, "I know he is
old by the impression his gait has made,
and a Yankton by that of his moccasin
He is from the other side of the river, as
there are no Yanktons on this side. The
trap he carried struck the snow now and
then, and in the same manner as when he
came, shows that he did not find his pony
A drop Of blood in the centre of his tracks
shows that he carried the wolf on his back,
and the bundle of kinikinic wood he used
for a staff for support, and, catching a
wolf, shows that he had traps out" "But,"
| asked, chow do you know it is wolf,
why not fox, or coyote, or even deer?"
Said he, "If it had been a fox, or coyote,
or any other small game, he would have,
slipped the head of the animal in his
waist belt, and SO carried it by his side,
and not on his shoulders. Deer are not
caught by traps, but if it had been deer,
he would not have crossed this high hill,
but would have gone back by way of the
ravine, and the load would have made his
steps still more tottering."
Another Indian track we saw twenty
miles west of this he put this serious con-
struction upon: "He is an upper
Indian "a prowling horse thief : car
ried a double shot gun, and is a rascal that
killed some white man lately, and passed
here one week ago for" said he, ga lone
Indian in these parts is on mischief, and
generally on the look out for horses. He
had on the shoes of a white man whom
he had in all probability killed, but his
steps are those of an Indian. Going
through the ravine, the end of his gun hit
into the deep snow. A week ago we had
a very warm day, and the snow being soft,
he made these deep tracks ever since it
has been intensely cold weather, which
makes very shallow tracks," suggested
that perhaps he bought those shoes. " In
dams don't buy shoes, and If they did
they would not buy them as large as
these were, for Indians have very small
feet" The most noted trailer of this
country was Paul Daloria, a half breed,
who died under my hands, Of Indian con.
sumption, last summer. At one time /
rode with him, and trailing was naturally
the subject Of our conversation. begged