Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1873-06-18
THE INDIANS SKILL.
How they Track a Trail-The LOgi
of the Prairie.


traordinary skill of Indian trsilers:
The Indian or trapper that is a
shrewd trailer is a man of close OBJ
servation, quick perception and
prompt action. AS he goes along no
thing escapes his observation, and
what he sees or hears he accoants for
Immediately. Often not another step
is taken until q 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 gives to the matter
unremitting attention for days and
weeks. The trailer is not a graceful
man. He carries his head much in
clined, his eye is quick and restless,
always on the watch, and he is prac-
ticing his art unconsciously, hardly
ever crossing the track Of man or an
imal without seeing it. When he en-
ters house he brings the habits be
contracted in the practice Of his art
with him. 1 know a trailer as soon
as he enters my room. He comes in
through the door softly, and with an
air of exceeding caution. Before he
is fairly in, or at least has sat down,
be has taken note of every article or
person, though there may be dozen
vacant chairs in the room. He Is not
used to chairs, and, like the Indian,
prefers a more humble seat. When 1
was employed by Gen. Harney last
summer to take charge temporarily Of
the Indians that were gathered near
Fort Randall, Dakota, to form new
reservation, one day guide came TO
the Generals headquarters. 1 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 q chair, when there
are plenty here unoccupied ?" The
man arose and seated himself in
chair, but in so awkward and uncom-
Portable 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 Gen.
eral, he turned out to be man Of no
ordinary abilities. His description OF
a route he took as guide and trailer
for the Ogallalas, in bringing them
from the Platte to the fort, was NIL
mute and exceedingly Interesting
Every war party that crossed his trail
he described with minuteness as TO
their number, the kind of arms they
had. and stated the tribes they be-
longed to. In these strange revela-
tions that he made there was neither
importance nor supposition, for ne
gave satisfactory reasons for every
asseation that he made. l have rid
den several hundred miles with an
experienced guide and trailer, Hack,
whom 1 interrogated upon many
points in the practice Of his art. Near
fy all the tracks 1 saw, either new or
old, as a noYice in the art, 1 7ues-
toned 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 a stray black horse, with a long
bushy tail, nearly starved TO death,
has a split hoof of the left forefoot,
and goes very lame, and he passed
here early this morning" Astonished
and ineredulous, I asked him the rea-
son for knowing these particulars by
the tracks of the animal, when he re-
piled: at was q stray horse, because
| It did not 90 in a direct line; his tail
was long, for he dragged it over the
snow; in brushing against bush he
left some of his hair, which shows its
color; he was very hungry, for in go
ing along he has nipped at those high,
dry weeds, which horses seldom eat
The fssure of the left forefoOt left also
its track, and the depth of the indent-
alton shows the degree OF his lame
ness: and his tracks show he was here
this morning when the snow was
hard with frost"
CAUSE AND EFFECT.
At another place we came across an
Indian track, and he said: 1t is an
old Yankton, who came to look at his
traps. In coming over he carried in
his right hand a trap, and in his left
q lasso to catch a pony he had lost
He returned without finding the po-
nv, but had caught in the trap he had
out a prairie wolf, which he carried
home on his back, and a bundle OF
kinnikinic wood in his right hand"
Then he gave his reasons. know
he is old by the impression his gait
mas made, and a Yankton by that OF
his moccasin. He is from the other
side of the river, as there are no Yank-
tons on this side. The trap he carried
struck the snow now and then, and
returning in the same manner as
when he came, shows that he did not
catch the pony. A drop of blood in
the center of his tracks showed that
he carried the wolf on his back, and
the bundle Of kinnikinick wood he
used as a staff for support, and catch
ing a wolf shows that he had traps"
{" But,u 1 asked, do you know it's
a wolf? Why not q fox. or even a
deer ?p Said he ''If 1t had been a
fox or coyote, or any other kind OF
small game, he would never have
slipped the head of the animal in his
wrist belt, and so carried 1t by his
side. and not on his shoulders. Deer
are not caught by traps; but If it had
been q deer he would not have crossed
this high hill, but have gone back by
way of the ravine, and the load would
have made his steps still more totter-
ing."
Another Indian track we saw twen-
ty miles west of this he put this seri
Gus construction upon: He's an up
per indiana prowling horse thief
carried a double barreled shot gun,
and is a rascal who killed some white
uldu ldlcllr duu J~AooC1 NV - "NS0
ago; for,n said he, Z" q lone Indian in
these parts is on mischief, and gene
rally on the lookout 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 bit the deep snow. A week
ago we had very warm day, and the
snow being soft ne made these deep
tracks; ever since ithAs been intense
ly cold weather, which makes very
shallow tracks," / suggested that
J 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 coun-
, try was Paul Daloria, a half breed,
) who died under my hands Of Indian
consumption last summer. 1 have
D spoken Of him in former letter. Al
5 one time rode with him, and trail
: ing was naturally the subject OF oul
9 conversation. begged to trail witt
: him an old track over the prairie II
}. order to learn its history. l hardly