Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-12-18
For the Sunday Globe.
TEXAS INDIAN "REMINISCENCES.

dianS in subsection and to give to the bol6
frontiersman, who pushed out beyonC
the general line of settlement, protection
from the ravages of wandering bands,
which frequently made incursions for the
purpose of recruiting their supply O.
horses and ponies. Frequent detach'
ments were sent out from the military
posts to patrol the frontier and to punisl
any Indians found away from the reser
vations.
A necessary part of every scout
ing party was an Indian guide, who
combining intelligence with instinct
could follow the faintest trail with the
greatest ease.
The guide for our post was Delaware
who had assumed the name of John Nc
Laughlin.
Several days notice of the departure OF
scouting party was generally given in
order that rations and ammunition might
be issued. Due notice was. always given
the guide, who at once got as drunk as
whisky could make him, and when the
day arrived he could not depart with the
command, but would JOIN in the after
ternoon of the second day. Once
1 asked him why he always got drunk
when ordered out on a scout, and he
gave me the benefit of the Indian philoso-
ply in the remark: "May be so for, cap
tain, thirty days before can get any
more whisky" Once sober, more
faithful man never lived. His eyes and
ears were ever open and nothing escaped
him. | would give him the direction 1
wished 10 go, and he would lead the COM
mand over the houndless prairies with
the accuracy Of an accomplished engi-
neer If Il trail crossed his line Of march,
however small, his experienced eye would
surely see it, and he could tell very accu
ratelv thu number of Indians and the
number 81 ponies in the party.
On one occasion We struck a trail
which he said was made by
twenty Indians with thirty ponies and
four mules. We followed the trail for
three DAYS and overlook the party of In
dians, which was made up as he had pre-
viously told me.
One day when we lad halted for lunch
asked him how he could tell the size Of
the party and he replied: Indians on
horseback follow each other and loose
animals generally wander away from the
straight line. In this case, twenty ami
mails, which must have had riders fol-
lowed one after another, while ten horses
and four mules appear to have had no
riders.'' This he attempted TO show me,
and, while he evidently understood the
subject thoroughly, Ihad to confess that
it was very much mixed TO my organs of
vision
Here too, look at the grass, you see
that it has been bent over, which gives it
q different color-I can see the difference
a long way ahead and in that case L can
follow up rapidly again Indians travel
in the same direction and rarely ever
vary it unless pursued closely, then they
ramble around as if lost to delay the pur-
suit of theirgenemYs
1t astonished me how readily he could
detect trail and the ease with which he
could follow one. This he explained to
me.
Here, he says, is small stone which
has been turned over. This side, you
see, is damp and rusty, and must have
been next to the ground. 1t has evil
IDENTIFY been turned over by the movement
of the ponies over the ground. If this
stone was perfectly dry you would know
that the sun had shone upon it an entire
day since it was turned over, but this
one is not vet dry and common sense
teaches that it was turned over
this morning and hence the Indians are
only few hours ahead of us. This proved
true, for we overlook the party that same
evening. John was invaluable IN discov-
ering water. Ask him at any time if there
was any water near, he would scan the
horizon and tell you yes or no with abso
lutte certainty. In fact, | never knew
him to fail.
One evening after going into camp l took
him with me deer hunting, leavinga lieu
tenant in charge Of the camp. After we
had been gone some time the lieutenant
took ten men to look for buffalo. Late
in the evening we discovered
party of horsemen which | took for
Indians and so did the guide. With view
to testing his courage, | said: 'John,
shall we fight or run ?'' His reply some
what surprised me- "Well for Captains
let US fight" While we were making
preparations to defend ourselves l discov-
cred that the party was made up of friends
and that fighting against said odds would
not be necessary. He was as brave a
man as ever lived; as really afraid of
nothing, however fierce or savage.
On one expedition fed him from my
supplies for ten days, land on return
ing when within few miles of my post he
killed turkey. Wishing TO take the
fowl myself, and supposing that my pre-
vious hospitality would, at least, suggest
to him the proprlety of presenting it to
me, as matter of form, l asked him,
Chow much, John?" He replied, Give
bit, that being the price of wild turkeys
in that vicinity. Frequently scouting
parties would be out longer than was eX-
pected, and the rations would give out,
and often scouting parties had to subsist
by the killing and eating of some of their
pack animals. John, knowing my dislike
of such food, would always exert himself
to kill bird or catch a fish for me, while
he seemed to relish mule steaks.
Although savage, he was true man
and warm in his friendship, with many