The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-09-14
FOLLOWING THE TRAIL
SCOUTS OF THE SOUTHWEST
SURPASSED BLoODHoUNDS.
Tracked Indians Over Rock and Led
Soldiers Over Ground Where
No Signs Of the Fusi-
tives Appeared.

Washington Post.
One OF the things Of which humanity
has long stood in wonder 10 the extra
ordinary smelling faculties Of the blood
hound. and the manner in whioh he is
able to trail criminals over ground Of
almost every character long after the
scent has become cold. Few. however.
realize that in New Mexico and Arizona.
and also Northern Mexico, there are men
who far surpass the bloodhound when
1t comes to trailing.
Men who served during the campaign
against Geronimo and the hostile Apa-
from day to day overwhelmed with as
constituent at the almost superhuman
instinct Of the Mexican and Indian scouts
who on that memorable campaign fol-
lowed the fleeing Apaches over sand des.
erts harder than asphalt and floors Of
solid rock upon which the pursuing SOL
diers were unable to see 20 much as a
trace Of passing horsemen.
One of the military organizations that
performed meritorious service in that
campaign was Troop B. Of the 9Th Cav
airy. which in 1887 was, by way OF re-
ward, transferred to Fort Meyer, Va.
which from that time forth has been q
cavalry post, this being the first body
sissippi River since the OWL war. In talk
ing with member of this body, Post
reporter learned much Of interest con-
corning the human sleuth hounds that
sAAOSO
Yes" said the sergeant. st served all
through the latter part Of the Geronimo
campaign under General Lawton, who
months. and during that entire period not
one Of US had q change OF clothing.
The campaigning was through one OF the
most mountainous countries In the world
Sometimes we would climb up the side Of
an almost perpendicular slope. and at
other times the descent was so steep that
we were obliged to let our horses down
over lodges Of rocks by lariats tied to
their tails.
Accompanying our command were
about 100 friendly Indians, enlisted and
used as scouts. Talk trailing: why
never until then dreamed that 1t was
possible for human beings to do what
these men did every day Of the cam:
mountains. along the slope Of which old
scouts Of my company were able to
barely make out the trail of the Apa-
ches. until we reached valley about
half or three-quarters of a mile in width.
the surface of which was as hard as
adamant Here we could see nothing,
but the scouts ahead on coming to such
places never hesitated one minute, but
struck out boldly across, following the
trail up the mountain side again.
Never Lost the Trail.
las we crossed these valleys and
mountains once again up the side of the
high ridges. We would again catch traces
of the Apaches in the softer and looser
time we have wondered at how our In
dian trailers were able to follow the
track on ahead of US over the valleys,
where the surface was as hard as as.
hundreds OF cattle, horses and burros
that had passed up or down the depreS-
sion after the Indians.
1.-THE most remarkable case Of trailing
ever. occurred in 1887, when the San
Carlos Apaches broke out Of their reser-
walton and went on the warpath south
into Mexico. This occurred shortly after
the Geronimo campaign, at time when
the War Department had discharged all
the Indian scouts attached to the South
western posts, thinking that the trou-
BILE was all over. and that there would
be no longer any use for them. Conss-
quently, when we received a hurry order
the San Carlos Apaches we were obliged
to leave without taking any of these
human bloodhounds with us.
1--WE soon began to feel the need OF
them, for although two-thirds OF the
men in the command were accomplished
scouts they could not begin to do tho
work 18th the skill and certainty o.
the imam scouts trained to the work
from infancy.
along about the eighth day out we
crossed a range of mountains into one
OF the most peculiar depressions I eve
saw. 1t was surrounded on all sides ny
high mountains, but the singular fea-
lures was that the bottom rose UP Xix
an inverted bowl. This curious forma
ton was solid rock that IN some pa
period of time had been lifted up and
tilted in such manner as to leave n
hollows in which sand or soil could
gather. Up to this time we had mad,
slow progress tracking the Indians bu
when we reached this spot we gave M
the task in disgust. as there was
earthly means so far as we could Sc
of tracking them across such an expanso
OF naked stone.
Picked Up the Scent.
I'VE sat down to think matters owe
when Colonel Lawton in stirring about
ran across an old Mexican riding along
on his burro. The Colonel asked him If
he would be our scout and whether he
felt himself capable OF taking up and
following the trail of the Indians. The
old fellow gave grunt of assent, and
two minutes later had found the trail
and, to our unspeakable astonishment.
was leading us almost on run across
the barren spot and up the mountain
1t was then 2 o'clock p. m, ana ne LED
us in a trot from that time until 5 p.
m when we caught sight of the Indians
enc4mped in a hollow. We charged down
upon them. but failed to make a cap
ture. as they saw us in Tins to escape.
This old Mexican served as our trail