The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1891-07-02
HIS OCCUPATION GONE
NOWADAYS THERE IS VERY LITTLE
FoR A SCOUT TO 90.

HIs wosaerfuI EyssiEht-IsdIsn Trails.
The scout Of the frontier II like the
typical cowboys mythical parsonage IN
these DAYS Of steam and electricity. The
recent Indian war was conducted with
out him, and the travellers on the prairies
do not need his services Trailing IL as
much an art a. Is painting or sculpture,
and almost as few become proficient in
ii az in the handling Of brush or chisel
Il IL impossible 10 realize nowadays
the Importance Of q scout Of former
times. No party dared cross the plains
alone without . professional trailer 10
lead IL, and no marauding band Of In
dams or whites could be overtaken un-
less they were tracked across the bound
less wastes OF sod.
A traveller across the plains Of New
Mexico relates 10 the writer that one
day while riding with guide he stopped
and pointed TO q clear and well defined
bears track in the sand.
The guide looked at 1t attentiyely .
moment, then, without dismOunting,
declared: "You are mistaken: IL Il not q
bears track"
isn't it, said the American. Then
! never saw one"
YES, you have seen many. but this
isn't one"
Quickly alighting, the American
pointed out the heel and toes Of the
track as clear and well defined as II
made few minutes before.
WELL" said the guide, ''if Il does
look like bears track, still IL isn't one
The marks you imagine to DO the heels
and toes are made by those spires Of
grass, which, bent by the wind, scoop
out the sand In the manner Jon zee.
"You ought to have seen that your
self" he went on, "but you didn't stop
TO think. Yor Americans never do
Americans travel with their eyes shut
and their mouth open. An Indian or
Mexican will travel all day without
speaking q word to any one unless abso-
lutely necessary, but nothing escapes his
observation, while an American will
talk continuously and see nothing but
the general features Of the country
through which he travels"
The guide was probably right, for few
Americans become adopts at trailing
either men or animals across the plains
Of the west.
FOLLOWING A TRAIL.
II Is impossible to learn the art from
books, though there are a few general
rules which can be observed. For in
stance, every scout knows that to over
take party which has perhaps run Of
some stock, provisions must be taken to
last several days; that the start must be
made slowly and the course followed
persistently and at moderate pace, Civ
ing the horses the nights to rest in and
start at daylight in the mornings
Then, when the pursuers come near
the pursued, IL Is the scouts business to
tell the number and condition Of the
enemy, and how many hours have
elapsed since they passed the spot on
which you are standing, for It may be-
come necessary for you TO remain con-
cealed until you decide upon the manner
Of attack, for II the party be made mp Of
Indians they will scatter before you can
capture them.
Again, any scout can tell whether the
trail be that Of . war party or not, be-
cause no Indians take their families with
them on the warpath; hence no lodge
poles drag behind the ponies. II there
Is no trace Of these il Is safe to consider
that a war party Is on the rampage.
One Of the difficult things 10 determine
Is the age Of the trail, and to do Il cor
rectly requires much practice. II the
track is very fresh 1t will show moisture
where the earth Is turned up, which
after few hours becomes dry. Should
rain have fallen the edges will be less
clear and will be washed down some
what
The expert Mexican scout can tell by
q glance what tribe Of Indians has made
q given trail, its age, and every particu-
lar about il rs truthfully as though he
had himself seen the cavalcade pasa
A party following an Apache trail dur
ing the Indian difficulties Of 1888 sud-
denly came TO ledge Of bare rock. The
officers Of the troops examined II care
fully, but could see nothing to indicate
where the tribe had gone. But the scout
led them for two miles across Il as IN
erring as though the trail had been made
in heavy grass.
KEEN EYEslGHT.
When asked what told him the way.
he called attention to the fine moss which
covered the rock, and that by close
scrutiny gave evidence Of having been
pressed by the foot, an indication 90
slight that IL would have been passed
unnoticed by ninety-ni out Of . hun
dred, yet his keen eye detected every
footprint A. easily as could be wished
In the grass n trail can be seen for q
long time, rs the blades viii be bent In
the direction followed by the party, and
even after IL has recovered its natural
position an expert trailer will detect o
slight difference in the color Of the grass
that has been stepped on and that grow
ing around IL
So the appearance Of the tracks win
also show him the gait at which the
party was travelling, and he thus knows
how TO regulate his pace In order 10
overtske it
II Is rare to find . white person who
can retrace his steps for any great dis
lance in the open country, but it Il sim
ply impossible to lose an Indian. No
matter how circuitous the route By
which you have reached q certain place
the Indian win find his way back 20 the
place Of starting BY the mos direct
r,v,ka .,1 x.w;ff,<.r.N ks~s&,&srw O.. q 49,
ment which course 10 pursue.
II you ask him how be does u be msy
possibly shrug his shoulders and reply,
I'Quien sabe7 or "who knows7- thuaSh
the chances are that he win not reply %
N. No matter how affable and en1r.
taining he may prove In camp, be WIN
talk little while en- routa-Chcsgo
Herald
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Ind all nervous complaints, after |
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Ielt % bis duty to make u known 30
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his motive and q desire 10 relieve /
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u charge, to all who desire &c, this |
'ecipe, In German, French or
English, with full directions for pre-