Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-10-08
ON TEE TRAIL.
How an Indian scout Finds aud roll
lows II.

lows It
Lieutenant Bennett, Of the United
States army, describes in St. Nicholas
how an Indian scout, named Arkichita.
followed the trail of a deserter. He
says:
A desperate soldier named Brice
broke jail, one night, and was pursued
the following morning. The trail led
TO the west for trifie more than a
mile; then it turned north for a quar-
ter of mile, and we followed until we
came TO a tree at the edge of a slough
to the northwest of the fort, called the
garden bar slough" Here Arkichita
pointed under the tree, and said Brice
had lain down there to rest. The trail
here led into the slough.
A Dakota slough" is shallow lake
the water OF which is from six inches 10
three feet in depth. with a soft, muddy
bottom, but not generally miry. The
centre of the slough is usually free from
grasses or weeds, but along the edges,
from twenty to sixty yards out, long
tule grass grows.
This particular slough was mile in
length, and varied from an eighth to
quarter of mile in width, and there
was foot of water covering as mucn
soft mud. During the night the wind
had rolled the water up considerably.
1t seemed hardly possible to track any,
thing through it, except where the tule
had been broken down. Where that
was the case even l could follow the
trail; on reaching open water, however.
the case was different
The eastern end of the slough reached
to point near the fort not more thal
hundred and fifty years from brick
yard, on which was a kiln that had
been built during the summer. The
kiln was now ready for firing.
Once thought Arkichita was baffied,
after all; he had come TO dead stand
still near the tule. Then an inspira-
ton struck me; perhaps by a circle I
could find the trail. Happy thought
put it into immediate execution, and
found one. Rather elated at my sue
cess, called: Come quick; heap trail!"
He came over, took one look just the
suggestion of a smile played on his face
as he said: Cow"
did no more trailing, but understood
what was bothering him. The post
herd also had waded through here since
Brice's escape, and it took all the
scouts endless patience and wonderful
| eyesight to keep the trail where the
cattle had passed through it. The grass
stem was of no use here.
We had passed over half the slough
in this circuitous route. when suddenly
Arkichita started, straight as the crow
flies, for the edge of the slough near the
brick kiln.
On he went until he came to the
shore nearest the kiln; here he stopped.
evidently bothered again. There was
scarcely discernible foot print in the
mud and water right at the edge of tho
slough. apparently the last step the de-
serter had taken before reaching hard
ground. This foot print showed tho
toes, so the deserter was now bare
footed. Another thing about this print
was it's direction; 1t stood at right an
, giles to the line previously followed.
Either the man had taken a sideward
spring for the land from his right foot
or he had turned around and started
back over his own trail.
Arkiehita went down on his knees
and inspected the grass. blade by blade
/ kept respectful distance at one side,
astontshed at the turn the AFFAIRS had
taken. Now, inch by inch, on his knees,
he wrenched the secret from the appar-
emily unwilling surface OF the earth.
Eighty yards from the kiln he looked
up and glanced at it. The same idea
evidently occurred to both OF us. The
trail was leading to the kiln Then he
rose, and, bending over. slowly adyanc-
ed to the edge of the brickyard.
After reaching the yard ATkichita
walked slowly around the outer edge,
OF it, examining the ground with tho
utmost care. until he came 10 the point
from which he started, when he said.
Trail come in--no go out; man IN
there" pointing to the kiln.
And circumstances proved him to be
right, though it was thirty-six hours
before the fugitive was located in the
kiln and captured.