The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1873-05-28
PRAIRIE DETECTIVES.

When / was employed by Gen.
Harvey last summer to take charge
temporarily of the Indians that we're
gathered near Fort Randall, Decotah
to form new reservation, one day
guide and trailer came into the gener-
ais headquarters. l told him to be
seated.f 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 un-
comfortable a manner that he looked
as if he might slip from it at any mo-
ment. But when thjs upcouth per-
son came to transact his business with
the general, he turned out to be a
man of ordinary abilities. His de-
scription of route he took as guide
aud trailer for the Ogallalahs in bring
ing them from the Platte to the fort
was minute, and to me exceedingly
interesting. Every war party that
for the season had crossed his trail, he
described with minuteness as to their
number, the kind Of arms they had,
and stated the tribes they belong to.
In these strange revelations that he
made there was neither imposition,
nor suppcsition, for he gave satisfactory
reasons for every assertion he made
| have reae several hundred miles
with an experienced guide and trailer,
Hack, whom l interrogated upon
many points in the practice of this art
Nearly all tracks saw, either old or
new, as a novice in the art, question
ed him about. In going to the Mo
brara rive; ne crossed the track of an
Indian pony. My guide followed the
track q few miles ana then said. ';It is
a stray, black horse, with long bushy
tail, nearly starved to death, has
split hoof on the left fere fost, and
goes very lame, and he passed here
this morning" Astonished and ID
credulous, | asked him the reasons
for knowing these particulars by the
tracks of the animal, when he replied:
1T was a stray horse, because it did
not go in direct line, his tail was
long for he dragged it over the snow; /;
in brushing against bush lie left
some of his hair, which shows its col
or. He was very hungry, for in going
along, he has nipped at those high,
dry weeds which horses seldom eat.
The fssure of the left fore foot left, al
so, its track, aud the depth of the in
dentation shows the degree of his
lameress; and his tracks shew he was
here this morning when the snow was
hard with frost" st
At another place we came across an
Indian track, and he said; "It is an
old Yankton, who came across the Mis-
siouri last evening to look at his traps.
In coming over he carried in his right
hand trap, and in his right lassU
to catch pony he had lost. He re.
turned without finding the horse, but
had caught in the trap he had out
prairie wolf which he carried home
on his back and bundle Of kinikinic
wood he used for staff for support,
and catching Welt also shows that he
had traps" "But," ! asked, show do
you know it's wolf; why not fox or
a caYote, or even q deer 2" Said he,
"Ifit had been fox, or cayote, or any
other kind of small game, he would
have slipped the head Of the animal
in his waist belt and so carried it by
/ his side and hot ou his shoulders,