The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-01-04

scouts sometimes fall into them, and il
not killed outright are compelled to
make a hasty flight for life. In sew
eral instances l have wondered how
my account stood up above, if the
scrape I was in should prove TO be
call to go up for settlement
When a large expedition takes the
field, the services of mum Der of scouts
are required. These are under the COM
mand of chief of scouts. position
which held in Gen. Crooks command
in the campign Of 1873 against the
Sioux, and later under different gener-
ais in the Apache wars in Arizona and
New Mexico Each morning the chief
of scouts will give his men their in
structions for the Lay and send them
ahead to scour the country in different
localities, he himself taking the main
trail ahead of the command Should
scout strike new trail or make any
important discovery he at once seeks
the main trail and reports to the chief,
who, in turn. communicates with the
officer in command. At night the
scouts all meet at the point determined
upon for camp and make their several
reports to the chief, in order to map
out programme for the following
day.
The most effective attacks upon In
dian camps are made just at dawn of
day, while the warriors are yet asleep.
The first moveme Mt of the experienced
officer is TO stampede the herd. To ef-
feet this scout who has studied the
situation OF the camp and where the
ponies are grazing is placed at the head
Of a detachment of troopers. At the
command they dash forward like the
wind straight for the herd, and when
near it begin to yell and shake blankets
at the ponies. The affrighted animals
will at once fee. closely followed by the
stampeding party, thus leaving the In
dians without mount. Right on the
heels of this party comes the command,
charging right into the camp. using
carbines and pistols with deadly effect
The Indians will at times make des.
perate fight. but on more occasions will
cndeavor to escape into the hills on foot
Or else surrender. Should many of them
escape, they are powerless for the time
to continue hostilities, as their ponies
are all in the hands of the paleface SOL
diers and they cannot cope with the
troops or escape them on foot. One by
one the survivors will make their way
back to the reservation and become
good Indians" until again mounted
aud equipped for another raid
Persons who sit in their cozy homes,
beside comfortable fires, cannot con.
ceive Of the hardships Of scouts and |
troops in the late fall or the early |
spring. when the cold, freezing rain |
drenches them to the skin. When |
these Icy storms come in the night |
where fuel for camp fires cannot be I
obtained. sleep is impossible Men and |
animals alike must stand throughout |
the night, shivering and praying for |
dawn and the order to move. l rcmems
ber one such night in the rs campaign. /
when gentleman acting as special /
for New York jour
nal. saw one Of the men sitting upon /
an inverted bucket, and, much as he |
would need the money when ne re-
turned to the fort, the e5soldier refused
a snug sum from the newspaper man
for permission to occupy the coveted
seat during the remainder OF the night.
This outline of scouting life will sui.
ice TO give the reader a general idea OF
The duties incumbent upor che position.
and may open the eyes of crack-brained.
li,ne-novel reading boys who imagine
he life TO be one OF gilded romance
lr-ioc.