Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-09-27
INDIANS ON THE TRAIL.
fheir Willy Practices While DIGGING the
Steps of an Enemy.

ness and skill displayed by an Indian
IN tracking person or persons over
the most arid desert land. The dogs
delicate sense of smell is what chiefly
helps him. but no such natural faculty
aids the Indian. The knowledge which
enables him to follow a trail has all
been acquired. From childhood he is
taught to note every mark on the
ground-its age, what made it. and
everything concerning it which might
DE OF interest. The result is that with
this education, and with ewes sharp
ened by constant use, he confidently
takes and keeps a trail where white
man, with the keenest eyesight, would
only see an occasional unmeaning
mark.
The Indian scouts who are attached
to bodies of our troops in the west
show skill in trailing which is almost
phenomenal. The Apache is foot
man, while the Sioux is the best type
OF mounted scout. The scouts always
push ahead of the troops and hang on
the tanks of the approaching enemy
Prominent points near the trail are
sought as lookouts, scouts often going
miles to reach them.
They generally work in pairs.
watch being kept to the rear as well as
to the front: neither do they enter any
place without first accommodating it.
The scout will sometimes crawl toward
rock on the crest of hill. and when
near it, draw his blanket or a white
cloth according to the color of the
rock over his head and shoulders
With everything covered save his eyes,
he wriggles by degrees up to the rock.
where he lies motionless until he has
mlnutely scanned all the country in
sight. Then he withdraws as stealth
lily as he approached, whether he has
discovered anything or not.
Often he conceals himself by holding
piece OF sage-brush in front of him
while lying down. Sometimes he fas-
tens bushes to the upper part of his
body, extending to his head: then. sit
ting in a washOut or wallow, he is com
pietely concealed, while his own view
is unobstructed.
When Apache scouts are acting with
troops in the field they are up before
the first sign of dawn. After instruc-
lions have been given them as to the
next camping place they start out from
camp and spread out like a fan, in
groups of three. They usually push so
far ahead of the troops that the latter
rarely see them until camp is reached.
or the trail gets SO hot" that word is
sent back to the column.
The scouts reconnoitre the country
for five miles on each side of the trail,
and not a single thing escapes their
notice. Ashes of camp fires. upturned
stones, broken branches, tracks-in
short, everything is commented upon,
and, if thought to be important, report
ed to the commander of the column.
When camph has been made. the scouts
encircle it with an outpost line, which
nothing can approach without being
seen. When it becomes dark every
one is in camp, the horses are turned
out, under soldiers, for night herding,
and the camp sleeps securely.
Shaplish, the chief of the Umatilla
scouts. was once with company of
soldiers that were following party of
Indians who had murdered a ranchman
in Idaho. After following the trail for
nearly fifty miles, the scouts suddenly
stopped. and explained that the SOL
diers had been discovered, and that the
Indians were travelling by night.
He pointed out where they had gone
under low branches of trees, which
could have been avoided by daylight
and where they had crossed rocks and
ravines at bad places, when there were
good crossings near by, which they
would have selected if there had been
light enough to pick the trail.
The Indian in tracking is neither
guided by the sun in daylight, nor by
the moon or stars at night, his obser-
vations being confined wholly to the
earth. Even after dark he will find
and follow trail over rocks and
through thiclkets by feeling the ground
with his fingers When a sign is dis
covered a blanket is held around the
spot as a screen while match is
struck so that more the rough inves-
tigation may be made.
In tracking an enemy from point to
point an Indian will discover one sign
after another very rapidly. a blade of
grass trodden down, a foot or pony
track. upturned pebble, flakes of foam
all these are discovered with the
most wonderful swiftness, and they are
interpreted with a degree of accuracy
which is simply astonishing.
ARMY officers who have seen service
in the west can tell stories of the won
derful accurateness of these Indian
trailers. "A number of years ago some
Cheyennes were reported to have
crossed the Yellowstone below Fort
Keogh. Montana, and troops were sent
out from the fort to intercept them.
Great herds of buffalo had been
roaming over the surrounding country,
and the grass had been eaten and
trampled upon in all directions; while
a perfect labyrinth of paths had been
made by the animals.
1t was. therefore, difficult to find
any particular trail; but on the third
morning out one of the Indian scouts
who was with the troops suddenly
stopped his horse. went a little to the
right. scanned the ground closely and
then. coming back, reported that he
had found the trail of the Indians.
The trail crossed the direction of the
troops at right angles, and half the
command had passed over it when the
Indian found it, although there were
white scouts at the head of the column.
The scout followed the trail for a
mile, and then found place where the
Indians had encamped. He brushed
away the ashes from the dead fires and
felt OF the earth underneath; counted
the number of fires, and noted, by the
marks made by the pins in the ground,
the size of the lodges.