The Washington times., 1901-10-27
NOTED INDIAN SCOUTS.
Men Who Aided the Army in the
Campaign Against the Sioux.
Lieutenant Jordan's "Reminiscences
of s.BunaIo Chips" nnd Frnpk
Gourard-NNonderfuI Power of Oh
seryntion Possessed by the Latter.

OF the few remaining Indian scouts
buffalo Bill" or Col. William Cody, Is
undoubtedly best known to the public
in general But there were, indeed there
are, others; men of exceptional ability,
as well as daring, whose feats, in the
days of the Wild West in all its savage
glory. read more like fiction than solid
fact. The passing of the Indian scout
will be another page of the romantic
torn from the worlds record which Is
ever becoming more prosaic and ledger
like. Buffalo Bill is an able man and
true as steel. But for a detective abil-
ity that Sherlock Holmes himself
might envy Frank Gourard, a Ha-
waiian. brought up among the Indians
stands probably without a peer.
Gourard is tall and very muscular,
with huge shoulders and chest He
gives evidence of his nativity in his
thick, sensuous lips, flattened nose, and
dusky complexion, unlike that of an
Indian He says himself that he mere
ly remembers the fact that, as baby,
he was brought from across the water.
BY long living with the Indians, how
ever, he acquired a perfect knowledge
of their habits, traditions. and even
methods of thought. Hence he was in
valuable to the army when 1t was call
ed upon to march against the hostile
red men.
Lieutenant Jordan, of the Metropoli-
tan Police Force, was with General
Crooks command in Its memorable
campaign against the Sioux. Gourard
rendered yeoman's service during this
trying period, when the horror of the
Custer massacre was very fresh, es-
pecially In the minds Of the devoted
band which hurried after his slayers.
Lieutenant Jordan is. it is believed, the
only man IN this city who can recall,
from personal experience, the terrors
of that memorable chase. The troops
were, practically. without rations for
seven days, during which time they
had one serious engagement with the
Indians besides being harassed by them
without being able to force them to de-
cided combat 1t rained almost inces-
sanity. fact which, as Lieutenant
Jordan says. probably saved their lives,
as, without water, they must have in
evitably perished
We started from the mouth of the
Powder River" said Lieutenant Jor-
dan, as, in his office at the Eighth pre-
cinct station, he recalled the episode.
I'VE drew rations from General Terry's
supply boat and received intimatioa
that we might move at any moment.
Which way?' was asked by all of US.
and Don't know was the answer We
learned that Buffalo Bill had ridden
all alone down toward the Glendive,
bent on a scout to ascertain If the In
dians were attempting to cross the
river. Such a jaunt, sixty miles
through the Bad Lands, was nothing
for Cody. We waited until he came
back with his report. and then, unfor-
tunately, he had to leave for the East
to fulfill his engagement with a show
But we had two famous scouts with
us still-Jim White, or Buffalo Chips,
and Frank Gourard.
Il may as well say here that 1 never
met a 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 he explained the matter by say
ing that each tribe wore a certain style
of meccasin, but the distinction was
sometimes so trivial as to render Gou-
rard's feat very remarkable one. The
Indians, as you doubtless know, when
on the warpath march in single file,
those behind treading in the foot prints
Of the leader, so as to leave single
pair of marks. The carriages used for
carrying the squaws and children and
supplies were formed of two poles lash
ed together, one at each side of the
horse with the 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 Gou-
rard could tell, with practical exact
ness, the number of warriors squaws.
and papooses that had passed along a
trail, in addition to the tribe they be-
longed to. and other particulars which
were hidden from the ordinary OBJ
server, and the determining of which,
to those who did not know the extraor-
dinary capabilities of the scout, SEEM
ed wholly impossible. He would notice
two sticks laid upon the ground and
they would tell him of sign or warn
Ing left by the Indians for their people.
There are very many of this latter kind
NJ ma orLra ltrx asnl, T,1
each other. In short, Gourard had re-
fiuced the faculty of observation, which
most civilized people use so carelessly.
TO an exact science. The Indians also.
as you probably know, are keen OBJ
servers. You will never be able to
catch their eye, perhaps, or to know
Just where they are looking, but they
will See much more than the average
white man. The only occasion when an
Indians gaze is fixed is when he de-
series some object at a great distance.
They have way on the plains of
of sweeping the horizon, shading their
eyes with one hand the while But to
return to our expedition.
AT an early stage / saved Paddy
Bernes' life. You see il was this way
Paddy was a great big Irishman, but
all his life and physique did not save
him from a terrible cramp. Why,
what's the matter. Paddy?' said TO
him as he sat one day doubled up like
a bootjack. Oh. be gobbers, don't talk
to me- I'm kilt with this cramp All
right; cheer up. Paddy, I'll fix that l
said. and this is the way did it. What