Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1869-06-03

1870 ANA1 IL SOAAS ~ANAS1
nipped at those high dry weeds,
which horses seldom eat. The
|fssure of the left fore foot left, al.
$50, its track, and the indentation
shows the degree of his lameness;
and his tracks show he was here
this morning, when the snow was
hard with frost"
At another place we came a
cross an Indian track, and he
said, '1t is an old Yankton, who
came across the Missouri last eve
ming to look at his traps. In COM
ing over he carried in his right
hand a trap, and in his left las
SO to catch a pony with he had lost.
He returned without finding the
horse, but had caught in the trap
he had out a prairie wolf, which
he carried home on his back and
a bundle of kinikinic wood in his
right hand" Then, he gave his
reasons, 81 know he is old by the
impression his gait has made, and
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
center 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," 1 asked,
Chow do you know it is a wolf,
why not a fox, or coyote, er even
a deer?" Said he, off it had been
a fox, or coyote, or any other
small game, he would have slip
ped 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
west of this he put this serious con-
struction upon: "He is an upper
Indian-a prowling orse-thief-
carried 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 tor
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. "Indians don't buy
shoes, and if they did they would
not buy them as large as these
were, for Indians have very small
Ieet." The most noted trailer of
this country was Paul Daloria, a
half breed, who died under my
hands, of Indian consumption,
asst summer. At one time / rode
with him, and trailing was natu-
rally the subject of our converse
ion. l begged to trail with him
IN old track over the prairie in or
Ter to learn its history. l had
hardly made the proposition, when
ne drew up his horse, which was
1t a ravine, and said, "Well, here
s an old elk track. Let us get
IF our horses and follow it." We
it but few rods, when
he said it was exactly a month old,
md made at two o'clock in the af-
This he knew, as then
We had our last rain, and. at the
lour named the ground was softer
han at any other time. The
rack before us was then made
lie broke up here and there cIus-
ers of grass that lay in the path
# the track, and showed me the
Try ends of some, and the stumps
# others, and by numerous other j