Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-10-06
ANINDIAN DETECTIVE
A SIOUX SCOUT WHO WAS A GENIUS
IN GROUND READING.
This Human SIeuth Exercised Ex-
traOrGinary skill In Trailing n Flu
EitiVe-He Had Instinct and Pair
of Eyes That Were Unerring.

| Although he knew English well, lie
| held the old Indian hatred of its use.
| and would never speak it except under
/ extraordinary circumstances. He stood
/ about five feet nine inches in height.
was slender, but wiry. and was about
( "a years of age. Ordinarily lie was
/ slow and Sedate in his actious-vcry
! dignified; but when the necessity arose.
he could be as quick as Il flash. and
had, like every Indian on the north
| western plains, Il pair of eyes tEat
rould equal any fieldglass.
His services-for he had been en-
! ployed as scout for some yearS-had
| been very valuable to the government
and. in recognition of this fact. the Off
! Ger in command had secured authority
from the war department To promote
| HIM to the rank of sergeant; conSe-
| quently he went around in 4 neat uni
| form with chevronS and stripes very
much impressed with his own impor-
lance. which he considered second only
10 that of the commanding officer; and
he took care that every one else also
should respect his rank and dignity.
As his native name is the Sioux for
soldier" ii is easily seen why he was
SO named; but he had still another
| name, which the Indians had given
him before his entering military cir
cfeS, and that, translated into English
was the 'graSSwalker.' or trailer"
from his absolutely marvellous ability
to find the trail of anything that left
even the slightest trace on the ground
as it passed over it.
y desperate soldier named Brice
broke Jail one night and was pursued
the following morning. The trail led to
the west for tritle over Il mile: then il
turned north for quarter of mile
and we followed until we came to n
tree at the edge of Il slough to the
northwest of the fort. called the ''gHr-
Gen bar slough" Here Arkichita point
ed under the tree and said Brice had
lain down there to rest.
The trail here led into the slough.
\ Dakota slough" is Il shallow lake,
the water of which is from six inches
to three feet deep, with Il soft. muddy
bottom, but not generally miry. The
center of the slough is usually free
from grasses or weeds, but along the
edges, from 20 to 90 yards out, long
tule grass grows.
This particular slough was n mile
long and varied from an eighth to Il
quarter of mile in width, and there
was a foot of water covering as much
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 ! could follow the
trail; on reaching open water, however,
the case was different.
The eastern end of the slough reached
to n point near the fort not more than
100 yards from a bricllyard, on which
was Il kiln that had been built during
the summer. The kiln was now ready
for firing.
Once l thought Arkichita was baffied.
after all; he had come to Il dead stand
still near the tule. Then On inspiration
struck me; perhaps 10y Il circle could
find the trail. Happy thought. | pat it
into immediate execution and found
one. Rather elated at my success, |
called. Como quick; heap traiI"' lie
came over, took one look; just the sug-
gestion of a smile played on his face
as he said, Cow"
did no more trailing. but under
stood 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
cyesiCht 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
IL.
" Arkichita started. straight as the
crow flies, for the edge of the slough
near the brickkiln. Was he Following
the trail?
On he went until he came TO the
shore nearest the kiln; here he stopped,
evidently bothered again. There was a
scarcely discernible footprint in the
mud aud water right at the edge of the
slough, apparently the last step the de |
serter had taken before reaching hard !
ground. This footprint showed the toes, |
so the deserter was now barcfootcd. |
Another thing about this print was its |
direction; it stood at right angles 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.
Arlichita went down on his knees !
and inspected the grass, blade by |
blade. | kept respectful distance at
Jne side, astonished at the turn the
affair had taken= Now. inch by inch.
ln his knees, he wrenched the secret |
rom the apparently unwilling surface
IF the earth. Eighty yards from the
liln. he looked up and glanced at it.
The sane idea evidently instantly occur
ed to both of US. The trail was lead
ny to the kiln, Then lie rose. and.
bending over, slowly advanced to the
,dGe OF the brickyard.
After reaching the yard. Arkichita
walked slowly around the outer edge
IF IL, examining the ground with the
Utmost r,a 70 mil he "a me IN tLa mint |