The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-05-03
INDIANS ON THE TRAIL.
Wonderful Work Done by Utes. ApAches
and Other Redskin Tribes.

Wonderful Work Done by Utes, ApAches
and Other Redskin Tribes.
While Indians are better trailers than
whites, it does not follow that all In
iians are equally expert. The best tribes
N this respect are the Delawares, Co
manches and Apaches. The best trailer
ever saw, says writer in the st.
Louis Globe-Democrat, was an Apache
who was in the employ of the govern
nent during the Crook campaign in
The southwest. During that campaign
! report came in that band of Indian
-aiders had made its way down the
valley, almost under the very noses Of
The troops, and had robbed several
ranches, killing the settlers. In order
10 successfully move against the In
1ians in that country it was nee essary
to march at night, on account of the
warning sent ahead by the signal fires.
A troop Of cavalry and company of
infantry were sent out after the raid
ers as soon as night came. All that
day the Indian scouts had been scat
tered over the valley searching for
trails, and when the command was
ready to start the scouts were ready to
follow trail that was believed to be
the one that led to the ''rancheria" or vii
lage of the Indians. The trail was care
fully followed over the stony ground
and through the underbrush, the
scouts actually feeling their way with
their hands They seemed to expert
ence no difficulty IN tracing the trail
with their fingers in the dark. but sud-
denly there was halt. Word was
sent back that another trail crossed
the original, and it was freeher track
A light was procured. and it was dis
covered that the cross trail was that of
beaf. which had passed along after
the Indians. The original trail was
taken up again and followed steadily
through the night, and the rancheria
found and captured early in the morn
ing.
The most remarkable bit of individ-
ual trailing that ever came to my
knowledge was the finding of lost
child in the Gunnison valley. The lit
tie girl. four years old. wandered away
from cabin on Tumiche creek, and
was not missed for several hours. Hun
dreds OF men in the valley turned out
and searched all that day without
finding single sign tf the girl. At last
1t was proposed to send for some Ute
trailers at camp about twenty miles
away. The Indians did not get on the
ground until twenty-four hours after
the child was missing. and then the
whole country had been SO searched
over that all hope Of trail was SEEM
tngly gone. Three Indians went to
work. stimulated by the promise of a
big reward, and before dark they
found the child, unhurt, but almost
dead from fright and exposure. They
did their work in a most systematic
and covered the ground so
thoroughly that they soon found the
direction taken, and then began an
ideal bit Of trailing. Foot by foot they
wentover the ground, noting broken
twig here, turned stone there, or a
small impression in the damp earth.
they would 60 for a mile
without finding single thing to indi-
;ate that they were on the right trail,
Ind then they would find a perfect i'm
of a little bare foot in a mud
spot. The chiid was found eight miles
rom its home, and hid so close when
she indians approached her that they
we're almost at fault when they were
1t the end of the trail, and were COM
oelled to double back several times be-
'ore they espied her crouched down un-
Ter fallen tree.
Thel1ndian is taught from earliest |
childhood to examine and note every
mark upon the ground, He is given
Instructions regarding the placing of
lis feet while on the march, and under |
Ill circumstances, whether in peace or
var, he hides his trail. 1t becomes q |
econd nature to him, and the watch |
ng of the trail that he crosses is as in |
tinctive as hiding his own. The In
Ian on raid pays little attention to
lis front. He knows that his weakness |
S in his trail, and he always carefully
yards the rear of the march His |
of his own ability to find
he trail of an enemy makes him afraid |
# the discovery of that left by himself.