The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-04-29
MULE SAGACITY.

/ was one Of the first Of the hunters and
trappers who made headquarters at Fort
Laramie, and as that post was established
fully thirty years ago, you rest assured that
the man who went out by himself bad TO run
the gauntlet Of danger every hour IN the
twenty four. The spirit of all the Indian
tribes has been broken during the last de-
cade, but twenty-five years ago each western
tribe was at its best, and no man was looked
upon as q warrior unless he could shake the
scalp Of q white man in the face Of his chal
longer
1t was against such Willy foes, not one Of
whom had the least mercy in his heart for a
white man, that the hunter and trappcr Of
years ago had TO pit his craft and judgment
Scores of them yielded up their scalps in the
struggle, but others beat the red mar at his
own game. IL wasn't so much for the value
of the pelts which the hunter would acquire,
but there were men who loved the feeling Of
danger and the wild, free life. The best Of
the trappers hardly came out even at the
end, but, unless rubbed out or laid W, they
never changed the avocation for one less
dangerous
While it seemed the height Of folly for me
TO head for the Niobrara river, over 100
miles away, stark alone and right into the
heart Of the Indian country, it was a rule Of
common sense that one man left fewer tracks
than two. and that two might be discovered
where one would slip past | had thirty
steel traps, some extra ammunition, blankets
and provisions, and these were packed on the
kanl, ~ a cfnYf n.ula uh0 was IN no Iq1 or
driven. | left the fort soon after dark one
evening in June, and headed straight away
for the Dog Mountains, where the Red Cloud
and Spotted Tail agencies were afterward
established. II was a backward season, and
the weather was by no means summer yet.
Indeed, ! had been waiting for q week fer
the last snow TO disappear.
1t was predicted at the post that | would
lose my hair before morning, for the Indians
were alert and III force all around us. Only
three days before my start a squad Of sol
diers, sent out after wood, had been fired on
and driven in at midday, and the redskins
had come within rifle shot and dared the
garrison 10 come out | won't say that /
wasn't a little nervous as | left the post be
hind me in the darkness, but had / been
afraid, | could have abandoned the under
taking. IL was rough. stony ground, with
little chance of leaving a trail, and we
kept up a pace Of about three miles an hour
all night pausing three or four times 10 rest
My mule was what was termed ian lnjun
mule" That is, ne had been out on three or
four expeditions, was well broken in, and
could be trusted almost like n man. As soon
as We were clear of the post | walked on
ahead, and he followed like a dog. He real
lied the danger almost as fully as ! did, and
there was hardly "a minute In which his ears
were not working back and forth TO catch
every sound stirring, Every now and then
he'd throw up his head and sniff, and had he
scented Indians or a fire, | should have
known IL pretty quick. In my time I've
seen half O dozen mules who'd smell Indians
further than a dog, and a fire twice as far
Is q man: but | never yet saw a horse
which was OF any help that way For 81
gacity, endurance and companionship a
mule was worth five times as much as a
horse, and for these reasons no trapper
ever took a horse when a mule could be had.
guess we made fully twenty-five miles be-
fore day Wight began TO show. We were then
on the tolerably level plains. and after a look
around entered a gully and followed il 10
until It spread out a bit and furnished plenty
OF grass. Here, ten feet below the general
level of the plains, / removed the pack from
the mule and went into camp for the day
The beast slaked his thirst at the water hole
and then went for the grass, while | made a
breakfast out OF some grub brought from the
fort IL was risky lying by in such q place
during the day, for hunting parties were
crossing and recroSsing the country, hut |
had to take the risk. The day passed of
without an alarm, and when night came |
took up my journey again. II was not until
the morning Of the fourth night out from
Laramie that ] reached the spot where | in
tended to camp 1t was on the banks Of a
little creek running into the Niobrara, near
its h~eadwaters, aud SO shut In by the noun
tains that 1t didn't seem likely the Indians
would discover me
Almost the first thing I discovered after
sunrise was a cave. Its mouth was well hid
den by bushes, and | blundered upon it by
simple accident The opening extended into
the mountain ] never knew how far, but |
explored 1t a good 500 feet and found no
ngns of termination There was a draught
FROM front to rear, and the first fifty feet Of
the cave were as dry as any room in a house.
j cav at once that 1t was a rich find, and |
lost no time IN taking possession From mid
night on ! had found snow, and therefore left
q trail, but q warm south wind came I'd
with the sun. and before ~ o'clock the snow
had Slusbed until the trail was obliterated.
After unpacking the mule turned him loose
b 90 up the y.II.y and shift for himself. and