The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1873-08-21
INDIAN rRAiLEKs.


Here il many be accounted an art as
much as music, painting or sculpture is
ID the east. The Indian or trapper that
Is a shrewd trailer, il man OF close OBJ
servauon, quick perception aud prompt
action. As he goes along, nothing ss-
capcs his observation, aud what he
secs aud hears he accounts for inn
mcdiately. Often not another step is
taken until mystery, that may present 1
itself In this line, is fairly solved. The /
Indian trailer win stand still for
hours in succession, TO account for certain /
traces or effects in tracks, aud sometimes
gives to the matter unremitting attention /
for days aud weeks,
The trailer is not graceful man. lie
carries his head much inclined, his eye is |
quick aud restless, always on the watch, !
and he il practising his art unconscious
y: hardly ever crossing the track Of man
or animal without seeing it. When he
enters house, he brings the habits he
contracted ia the practice of his art with
him. know trailer as soon as he en-
tiers my room. lie comes in through the
door softly, and with an air of exceeding
caution, Before he is fairly in, or at
least has sat down, he has taken note OF
every article and person in the room. lie
is not used TO chairs, and, like the Indian
prefers a more humble seat When
was employed by Gen. Harvey last sum
mer to take charge temporarily of the In
dians that were gathered near Fort Ran
dali, Dacota, to form new reservation,
one day guide and trailer came into the
Generals headquarters. told him to be
seated.
lie sat down on the floor, bracing his
back against the wall. The General saw
this, and in yexatiou cried out, My God,
why don't you take a chair, when there
are plenty here unoccupied? The man
arose and seated himself in q chair, but in
so awkward and uncomfortable manner
that he looked as il he might slip from il
any moment. But when this uncouth
person came to transact his business with
the General he turned out to be man Of
no ordinary abilities. His description of
route he took as guide and trailer for
the Ogalalas in bringing them from the
Platte to the fort was minute, and to me
exceedingly interesting. Every war par
ty that for the season had crossed his
trail, he described with minuteness as to
their number, the kinds of arms they had
and stated the tribes they belonged to.
In these strange revelations that he made
there was neither imposition nor suppo-
sition for he gave satisfactory reasons for
every assertion he made.
/ have ridden several hundred miles
with an experienced guide and trailer,
Jack, whom interrogated upon many
points in the practice of his art. Nearly
all tracks saw, either old or new, as a
novice in the art, questioned him about.
In gooing to the Niobrara river we cross
ed the track of an Indian pony. My
guide followed the track few miles and
then said: II is stray, black horse,
nearly starved to death, has a split hoof
of the left fore foot, and goes very lame,
and he passed here very early this morn
ing. Astonished and incredulous, | ask
ed 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 20 in 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 col
or; he was very hungry, for in going ht
has nipped al those high, dry weeds,
, which horses seldom eat; the fssure oi
} the left fore foot left, also its track, tn,
D depth of the indcntation shows the de
gree of his lameness aud bis tracks show
+. he was here this morning when the snow
2 was hard with frost,
At another place we came across Al
e Indian track, and he said: 1t is an Ok
d | Yankton, who came across the Missouri
n last evening to look at his traps. II
s coming over he carried in his right hant
/ a trap, and in bis left lasso to catch
v pony he had lost. iie returned withou
p finding the horse, but had caught in th
y trap he had out prairie wolf, which h
d carried on his back and bundle Of KIM
kinic wood in his right hand. Then b
! gave bis reasons; ! know he is old b
n the impression his gait has made, and
Yankton By that Of bis moccasin. He
e. from the other side OF the river, as ther
a are no YanktoDs on this side. The ira
be carried struck the snow now and ther
)r and in the same manner as when be eam'
., shows that he did not find his pony.
ct drop Of blood in the center Of bis track
u shows that lie carried tie wolf on Ii
ID back, aud the bundle Of kinikiuic WOO
be used for a stan for support, and eatcl
le ing a wolf, also shows that be had trap
he But. / asked, how DO you know it's
er wolf; why not fox, or coyote, or eve
ld q deer? said he II Il had been a -.
st or coyote, or ans other Kind Of sma
10 game, be would have slipped the head
the animal ia bis waist belt, aud 50 ca
el ried il by biz side, aud not oi Bis shou
.ir ders. Deer are not caught BY trap
ny but II Il bad been deer, he would n
have crossed this high BIN, bat won
oy have gone back BY way Of tie tie rayin
od aud the load would have made his ste
siB more totlering.
be Another Indian track we saw twea
in- miles west Of this be put this serious 60
81 struclion upon he i an upper India
ip- a prOwIing horse thief--carried dOnt