The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-08-04
Trailing.

One of most remarkable features Of uncivil,
lied life is the power savagcs show of track.
ing men and beasts over immense distances
Many travellers have spoken of this as some
thing almost miraculous yet it is only the re
suit OF careful observation of certain well
known signs. In coutries like ours every
trace of footprint or whecltrack on roads and
paths is soon oblitcrated or hopelcssly con.
fused; but it is otherwise in the wilderness,
where neither man nor beast can conceal his
track. In Catire-land when cattle are stolen,
if their footprints are traced to village, the
head man is held responsible for them, unless
he can show the same track going out. A
wagon-track in new country ispractically in
delible. More especially" says the authors
Of Shifts and EXpedents of Camp Life" is
this the case if fire sweeps over the plain i'm
medately after, or if the wagon passes during
or after prairie fire. We have known a tel-
low traveller recognize in this manner the
tracks of Il wagon made secea years bct0Sp the
lines of charred stumps crushed down remain
ing to indicate the passage Of the wheels,
though all other impressions had been Oblit-
Grated by the rank annual growth of grass fully
twelve feet high Sometimes the original
soil being disturbed, new vegetation will
spring up along the wagOn-track, and thus
mark out the road for miles
Even on hard rock Il mans bare foot will
leave the dust caked together by pcrspiraton,
so that practisod eye will see it; and even if
there is no track, a stone will be disturbed
here and there, the side Of a pebble which has
long lain next the ground will be turned up.
If it Is still damp the man or beast that turned
it has passed very recently. II IL shower OF
rain has fallen, the track will tell whether il
was made before, during, or after the shower
similar indications can be obtained from the
dew; and another indication OF the time that
has elapsed since man passed by is furnished
by the state of the crushed grass, which,will be
more or less withcred as the time is longer or
shorter Other indications are drawn from
the direction of in which the grass
lies; this tells the direction in which the
wind was blowing when the grass was crushed:
and by noting previous changes of the wiad
one learns the time at which each part Of The
track was made.
Much, too cand he learned from the form OF
the footprints, Savages generally turn their
toes in in walking; white men turn theirs out
A moccasin print with the toe turned out
would indicate that "a white man in Indian
walking gear had gone by; and almost every
every foot has print OF It's own. which ena
bles an experienced trackcr to follow single
track among a dozen Others Similarly the
character Of the print will tell whether the
man who made II walked freely or was led by
others whether he was in a hurry or Travelled
slowly; whether he carried burden: and il
he was sober or tpsy. \ horse track is equal
w well marked. II tells when the horse gal
l0ped, where he walked, when he stopped TO
feed or drink; and scattering of sand and
gravel viii tell when he started by any straigh,
sight
In all this two things are nccdcd-sharp
sight and careful training The elephant often
makes very curious tack rs he walks. II
he suspects danger, he scents the ground with
the tip o. his trunk, and this makes a well
masked scTpentine line in the dust. Ee-
plants have changed thir tactics since ritc-pits
were introduced Formerly when theiI chic.
danger was the pit-tall, the leader of the herd
felt the ground inch by inch; and ifhe detected
the covering OF trap, tore il off and left il
open. Now they rely much more upon the
scent, and in this way often from a great dis
lance, detect the hunter lurking near the drink
ing places. Ii 50 they often travel fifty or a
hundred miles 10 another stream orporl-H0r-
PERI WeAig.