The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-10-20
AN INDIAN DETECTIVE
A SIOUX SCOUT WHO WAS A GENIUS
IN GROUND READING.

of Eyes That Were Unerring.
Arkichita, n typical Indian, was chief
scout at Fort Sisseton. Dakota, In 1882.
Although he knew English well, he
held the old Indian hatred of It's use,
and would never speak 1t 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 he was
slow and sedate in his actions--very
dignified; but when the necessity arose,
he could be as quick MS a fash, and
had, like every Indian on the north.
western plains, a pair Of eyes that
could equal any fieldglass.
His services-for he had been EN-.
ployed MS a 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 a neat uni.
form with chevrons and stripes, very
much impressed with his own impor-
lance, which he considered second only
to that Of the commanding officer; and
he took care that every n else also
should respect his rank and dignity.
AS his native name Is the Sioux for
Soldier 1t Is easily seer why he was
SO named; but he had still another
name, which the Indians had given
him before his entering military cir.
cles, 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 1t passed over It.
A desperate soldier named Brice
broke jail n night and was pursued
the following morning. The trail led to
the west for n triie over Il mile; then it
turned north for a quarter Of a mile
and we followed until we came to a
tree at the edge Of a slough to the
northwest Of the fort, called the gar
den 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.
A Dakota Slough IL a shallow lake,
the water of which Is from six inches
to three feet deep, with a soft, muddy
bottom, but not generally miry. The
center Of the slough is usually free
from grasses or weeds. but along the
n1opnc fvnSpo On ~ IN w pls nItt 1nnD
tule grass grows.
This particular slough was q mile
long and varied from an eighth to a
quarter Of a mile in width, and there
was q 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 l could follow the
trail; on reaching open water, however,
the case was different.
The eastern end Of the slough reached
to a point near the fort not more than
$50 yards from a brickyard, on which
was a kiln that had been built during
the summer. The kiln vas now ready
for firing.
Once l thought Arkichita was bafiied,
after all; he had come to a dead stand.
still near the tule. Then an inspiration
struck me; perhaps by a circle l could
find the trail. Happy thought! l put 1t
into Immediate execution and found
one. Rather elated at my success,
called, "Come quick; heap trail" He
came over, took one look; just the sug.
gestion Of a smile played on his face
as he said. "Cow."
I did no more trailing, but under
stood what was bothering him. Thu
post herd also had waded through here
since Brice's escape, and 1t took all the
scouts endless patience and wonderful
eyesight to keep the trail where the
cattle had passed through 1t. The grass
stem was Of no use here.
We had passed over half the slough
in this circuitous route, when sudden
ly 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 and water right ut 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 b~arefooted.
Another thing about this print was It's
direction; 1t stood at right angles to the
line previously followed. Either the
mar had taken a sideward spring for
the land from his right foot, or he had
turned around and started back over
his own trail.
Arkichita went down Oh his knees
and inspected the grass, blade by
blade. I kept a respectful distance at
one side, astonished at the turn the
affair had taken. Now, inch by inch,
IN his lxnaos he wrenched h secret