The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1873-06-26
IDAHO WORLD.



;nr account of the extraordinary skill
sof Indian trsilerss T...
Z TIE most extraordinary skill exhib-
tied IN the West, either by the white
man IF red native, Is in the practice OF
trailing. Here it may be accounted an
art as much as music, painting or sculp-
ture in the East. The Indian or trap
per that is . shrewd trailer, is a man Of
close observation, quick perception and
prompt action. AS he goes along, moth
Ing escapes his observation and what
he sees or hears he accounts for imme-
diately. Often not another step is taken
until a mystery that may present itself
in this line is fairly solved. The Indian
trailsf win stsnd stil for hours in sue
"cession to account FOR traces or effects
in tracks, and sometimes gives to the
matter unremitting attention for days
and weeks.
The trailer is nota graceful man. He
carries his head much inclined, his eye
is quick and restless, always on the
watch, and he is practicing his art UNI
consciously, hardly ever crossing the
track of man or animal without seeing
il. s,When be enters a house, he brings
4Ae habits he contracted in the practice
Sof his art with him. I know trailer
as soon as he enters my room. he
comes in through the door softly, and
with an air Of exceeding caution. Be
fore 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 In
dian, prefers q more humble seat. When
I was employed by General Harvey,
last Summer, to take charge, TEMPORARY
ly, of the Indians that were gatherednear
Fort Randall, Dakota, to form new
reservatinn, one day guide and trailer
came to 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 a chair, when there are plenty here
unoccupied?" The man arose and seated
himself in a chair, but in 50 awkward
and uncomfortable a manner that he
looked as if he might slip from it any
moment. But when this uncouth person
came to transact his business with the
General he turned out to be a man Of
no ordinary abilities. His description
of route he took as guide and trailer
for the Ogallalas in bringing them from
the Platte to the, fort was minute and
exceedingly interesting. Every war
party TINT had crossed his trail he des-
cribed with minuteness as to their num-
.ber the kind of arms they had, and
stated the tribes they belonged to. In
these strange revelations that he made
there was neither Importance nor sup
position, for he gave satisfactory reas-
ons brewery assertion that he made.
have ridden several hundred miles
WitA-anezperiienced guide and trailer,
Hack, whom interrogated upon many
points in the practice of his art. Nearly
al the tracks Lsaw,,eithere old or new,
aS811H0 ia he art questioned him
abont IN eoilg TO the Niobrara river
We crossed the track of an Indian pony.
Ny guide followed the track a few miles
and then said: ut is a stray, black
horse, with q long, bushy tail, nearly
starved to death, has split hoof Of the
left fore foot, and goes very lame, and
be- passed here early this morning."
Astonished and incredulous, / asked
him the reason for knowing these par
ticulars by the tracks of the animal,
when replied: 1T wasa stray horse,
bxclhae Il did not go ina direct line;
his tar was long, for he dragged il
over the snow; in brushing against a
bush he left some hair, which shows it's
color he was very hungry, for in go
ing along he has nipped at those high,
dry weeds, which horses seldom eat
The assure Of the left fore foot left also
it, tra6k, I'D the depth 81 the linden.
ton shows the degree of his lameness;
and his tracks show he was here this
morning, when the snow was hard with
frost. .a.so-a s,s.si
At another place we came across an
IhdiAh track, and he said: at is an
old Yankton, who came to look at his
traps. In coming over he carried in
his right hand Q trap, and in his left q
lassdsto eatch pony he had lost. he
returned without finding the horse, but
had caught in the trap he had out q