The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1873-08-28
aiO,v sn1iaIs rraCh ~ TrniI


A DR.. Hansheniof gives an in.
teresting account of the extraordina
ry skill of Indian trailers. The In.
dian or trapper that is shrcwd
trailer is man Of close observation
quick perception and prompt action.
As he goes along nothing escapes his
observ alton, aud what he sees or
hears he accounts for immediately.
Often not another step is ta',on until
a mystery, tina. may present itself in
this line, is fairly solved rho in.
dian trailer will stand still for hours
in succession to account for certain
traces or effects in tracks anI some.
times gives to tho matter unremit.
ting attention for days AMI weeks.
The trailer is not a graceful man.
lie carries his head much inclined,
his eye is quick and restless, always
on the watch, and he is practising
his art unconsciously, hardly ever
crossing the araci of man or animal
without seeing it. When he enters
q house he brings the habits h con
tracted in the practice of his art with
him. l know q trailer as soon as hc
enters my room. He comes in
through the door softly, AMI with an
air of exceeding caution. Before hc
is fairly in or at least has snt down
he has taken note Of every article OF
person, though there may be dozen
vacant chairs in the room lie is not
used to chairs, and like the Indian
prefers more humble rest.
When ! was employed by General
Harney last summer 10 take charge
temporarily of the Indians that were
gathered near Fort Randall, Dakota,
To from new reservation, one day 4
glide AMI trailer came to the general $
headqua crs. told him to be seat
ed. lie sat down on the floor brac-
ing It's back against the wall. Tue
scucrlI saw this, aud in vcxation
cried out Wy God why don't you
iako IA chair " hen their are pleutv
here uuocuped Z" The man arose and
seated himself in chair. but in 81
awkward aud uncomfortable u mnn.
ner that be looked as If he might slip
from 1t any moment. Bat when this
nncou'h person came To transact his
business with the general he turned
To be mal Of no ordinary abilities
Ills description Of a Route he took as
giife AMI trailer Tor tho Osallahs, in
Driuging them fruu he Platte To the
fore, was minute aud exceedingly
Interesting Every war party tha,
crossed hi, trail he described with
minuteness us to their number, the
kind OF arm they had, AMI stated the
tribes they belonged to. In these
strauge revelations that ho mad there
was neither importance nor superStl-
ton, for he gave satisfactory reasons
Tor every assertion ho made. have
ridden several hundrc miles with an
experienced guide aud trailer. Hawk,
whom | lutcrrogatcd upon many
points in tho practice OF his art.
Nearly all tho tracks | saw either
ul | or new, as anovico in tho art, |
quest loned him about. In going TO
the NiObrara river we crossed the
track of an indian pony. Ny guido
To- lowed the track few miles, anl
them, said ut is stray black horse,
with Ion. blshy tai, nearly starved
10 death, has u split boof OF the lett
| La La, Ia,
passed here early thus morning" As
tonished and increduIous, | asked him
the reason for knowing .hese partlcu-
la's by tho tracks Of the animal when
he replied 1t was a stray horse,
because it did not 90 in direct line (;
his tail was loDg Tor he dragged 1t
over the snow, IN brushing against
bush he lett sJme Of his hair, which
shows is color he was very huusryl
for IN going along ho has nipped all
those high, dry weeds, which horses
,cliom eat tho fi'sure OF tho left
foreioot left also its track, aud the
depth Of the indentation shows the
degree Of his lameness, aud his tracks
show that he was here this mrrnint
when tbs snow was hard with frost"
Tho most noted trailer oi this
country was Paul Daloria, half
breed, who died under my hands Of
Indian consumption lat sumner. |
have spoken OF him in Il former let
letter. at one time | rodo with
him, aud trailing was naturally tho
subj of our conversation, | beg
scd TO trail with him an oil track
over the prairie IN order to learn its
history. | hardly made tho PROPOSE
tion when be drew up his horse, which
was in ravine, aud sad: "Wrll here
Is an old elk track. Let us get OF
our horses and follow IT." We fol.
loved il but a few rods, when he said
IL was exactly IA month old, aud made
at two o'clock in the afternoon. This
he knew, as then ws had our last rain.
and at tho hour named the ground
was softer than at any other time.
Tue + before Us was then made
lie bross up hero aud there clusters
of grapes that lay 10 the path OF the
track, and showed mo tho dry ends OF
some, tho stump, OF others, and by
numerous oLher similar items accoun-
ted Tor many circumstances that as
touished me.
We followed on the trail over
~. Al L.t