The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-12-21
Feots ofa
Great Trailer
What an 0iTnarg Trail On tie Plains
RsDeaisd to Frank Gonrard.

The passing Of the Indian scout WIN be
another page Of the romantic torn from
the worlds history which IS ever becom-
ing more and more romantic Buffalo
Bill is an able man and true as steel
But for a detective ability that Sherlock
Holmes himself might envy Frank Gou-
rard, a Hawaiian. brought up among the
Indians. stands probably without a peer.
Gourard Is tall and very muscular, with
huge shoulders and chest He gives eFi-
dence Of his nativity ia his thick, sensn-
Gus lips, hattened nose and dusky COM
plexion. unlike that Of an Indian He
says himself that ne merely remembers
the fact that as a boy he was brought
from across the water. By long living
with the Indians be acquired a perfect
knowledge Of their habits traditions.
and even methods Of thought Hence ne
was Invaluable to the army when It was
called upon to march against the hostile
red men
Lieut.. Jordan Of the metropolitan po-
lice force was with Gen. Crooks command
IN its memorable campaign against the
Sioux. Gourard rendered yeoman's serv-
ice during this trying period, when the
horror Of the Custer massacre was very
fresh, especially IN the minds Of the de-
voted band which hurried after his siay-
ers. Lieut.. Jordan IS, Il Is believed the
only man In this city who can recall from
personal experience the terrors Of that
memorable chase. Speaking OF Gourard.
he said:
Il never met man with the faculty Of
Gourard. He could tell footprint in the
grass, where the ordinary observer would
notice nothing. Moreover, he would tell
whether the footprint was left by a white
man or an Indian, and. If the latter. to
what tribe he belonged. To be sure. be
explained the matter hy saying that each
tribe wore a certain style Of mOccasin.
but the distinction was sometimes so
trivial as to render Gourards feat a very
remarkable one. The Indians. as you
doubtless knew, when on the warpath
march in single file. those behind tread
ing IN the footprints Of the leader. so as
10 leave a single pair VI tracks The car
rages used for carrying the squaws and
children and supplies were formed Of two
poles lashed together, one al each side
or the horse. with tho ends trailing along
the ground.
These were Of the same width and one
was driven IN the path Of the other But
in spite Of these precautions Gourard
could tell. with practical exactness. the
number OF warriors. squaws and papooses
that had passed along a trail. IN addition
to the tribe they belonged to- and other
particulars which were hidden from the
ordinary observer. and the determining
Of which. 70 those who did not know the
extraordinary capabilities Of the scout
seemed wholly impossible. He would no
tice two sticks laid upon the ground and
they would tell him Of a sign or warn
ing left by the Indians for their people.
There are very many Of this latter kind
Of marks by which the Indians counsel
eacn other.
"In short. Gourard had reduced the fac
ulty Of observation. which most civilized
people use so carelcssiy, to an exact
science The Indians. also. as you prob
ably know, are keen observers. You viii
never be able 20 catch their eye, per-
haps. or 20 know gust where they are
looking. but they viii see much more than
the average white man. The only oc-
casion when an Indians gaze IS fixed Is
when he observes some object az a great
distance. They have a way on the plains
Of sweeping the horizon, shading their
eyes with one hand the while. wash
ington Times.