Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-08-08


plenty here unoccupied2" The man arose
and seated himself in chair, but in so
awkward aud uncomfortable manner that
he looked as If he might slip from II any
moment. But when this uncouth person
came TO transact his business with the GEN
real, he turned out TO be man OF no or
binary abilities. His description of a route
he took as guide and trailer for the Ogal-
lalas in bringing them from the Platte TO
the fort was minute, and to ME exceeding
ly interesting. Every war party that for
the season had crossed his trail, he describ
ed with minuteness as to their number, the
kinds of arms they had, and stated the
tribes hey belonged to. In these strange
revelations that he made there was neither
imposition nor superstition for he gave sat
isractory reasons for every assertion he
made.
have rode several hundred miles with
an experienced guide and trailer, Hack,
whom intcrrogatcd upon many points in
the practice of this ant. Nearly all tracks
saw, either old or new, as a novice in the
art, quesi Toned him about. In going to
the Nobrara river we crossed the track of
an IbuNs wy bulbN i'i'p"NN NhV
track few miles and then said: at il a
stray, black horse, nearly starved TO DEATH
has a split hoof of the lett fore foot, and
goes very lame. and he passed here very
early this morning." Astouished and in
credulous, I asked him the reasons for
knowing these particulars by the tracks of
the animal, when he replied: at was
stray horse, because it did not go in di-
rect line his tail was long. for he dragged
it over the snow; IN brushing against a
bush he left some of his hair, which shows
its color; he was very hungry, for in going
he has npped at those high, dry weeds,
which horses seldom eat the assure of the
left fore foot left, also, its track, and the
depth of the indentation shows the degree
of his lameness; and his tracks show he
was here bis morning when the snow was
hard with FROST"
AT another place we came across an Ind-
all track, and he said, at is an old Yank-
ton, who came across the Missouri last eve
ming TO look at his traps. In coming over
he carried in his right hand trap, and in
his left asso TO catch a pony he had lost.
He returned without finding the horse, but
had caught in the trap he had out prairie
WOLF which he carried on his back and
bundle of kinikinic wood in his right
hand" Then he gave his reasons, 81
know he is Id 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, ant 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, iand the bundle of kinikinic
wood he ust d for Il staff for support, and
catching a wolf, also shows that he had
! traps But" l asked, show do you
know it's wolf; why not fox, or coyote,
or even a deer ?" Said he, "if il had been
a fox, or coyette, or any other kind Of
small game, he would have slipped the
head of the animal in his waist belt, and so
carried il 10y his side, and not on his shout
dcrs. Deer are not caught by traps; but if
it had been deer, lie 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 tot
tering."
Another Indian track We saw twenty
miles west of this he put this serious con-
| strucsiun upon 'IIc is an upper Indian
prowling horse thie!-carried a double
shot gun, and is II rascal that killed some
while man lately, and passed here one
week ago; for said me, "a lone Indian in
| the. parts is on mischief, and generally
on the look -uut for horses. He had on the
| shoes OF Il 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 the deep snow. A
week ago We had very warm day, and the
snow being soft, he made these deep tracks;
ever since 1t mas been immensely cold
weather, which makes very shallow
tracks," | suggested that perhaps he
bought those shoes. "Indians don't buy
shoes, and if they did would not buy them
a, large as these were, for Indians have
very small feet" The most noted trailer
of this country was Paul Dale ria, a half
breed, who died under my hands, of Indi-
an consumption last summer. have spok-
en- of him in a former letter. At Que time
| rode with him, and trailing was natural
~ the subject Of our conversation. / beg
ged to trail with him an old track over the
prairie, in order 10 learn its history. l
hardly made the proposition, when he drew
up his horse, which was at a ravine and
said, "Well, here is an old elk track. Let
us get of our horses an follow it,"
We followed it but few rods, when he
said it was exactly a month OLD, and made
at two o'clock in the afternoon. This he
knew, as then we had our last rain, and at
the hour named the ground was softer than
at any other time. The track before us was
then made. He broke up here and there
cinders of grass that lay in the path of the
track and showed me the dry ends of some,
the stumps of others, and by numerous
o ther similar items, accounted many cir
cumstapces that astonished me. We fol-
lowed The Trail over mile. Now and then
we saw that a wolf, fox aud other animals
had practised their trailing instincts on the
elk's tracks. Here and there he would
show me where snake, rat and prai-
rie dog had crossed the track. Nothing had
followed or crossed the track that the quick
eye of Doloria did not detect. He gave an
account of the habits of all the animals
tn at bad left their footprints on the track
also of the state of the weather since the
elk passed, and the effect of sunshine
winds, ardity, sand storms and other in.
fiuences that had bearing on these tracks
The old man, like all tralers, was reti
cent, but on this occasion, seeing 1 was in
terested, became especially communicative
DIR. HAcHENBERG.
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