The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-11-22
THE INDIAN TRaCKER.
de is o Real Wizard In His Ability to
Follow q Trail.


walk and lit cigar, dropping the
match carefully on to q wet place in
the trail, for fear of prairie fires.
eyes," he said, "there are lot of
people, not only in the old country,
but right here in the colonies, who
think that because man hes spent a
c>uple OF years On ranch and wears @
cowboy hat and long spurs he q sort
of combination Of Leatherstookipg
and Sherlock Homes. Now, q man
may be good enough scout to avoid
walking into a'trap and to find his
way about in strange country and to
take cover, but when it comes to
tracking, hos sucking babe compar-
ed with some of the Indians and half
breeds. A scout may be made, but q
trackcr must be born 80. Let me tell
you the kind Of thing 1 mean.
Il was managing the X ranch some
years ago, about 120 miles from the
American border. One night some
horse thieves dropped in suddenly
and carried off sixteen Clydesdsles-
heavy horses, We call them here.
Next morning early started in pur-
suit with q couple of my cowboys.
The trail wasn't difficult at first, and
re managed to pick it out all right at
walk, but the men We were hunting
were riding at gallop, and saw We
should have our work cut out to catch
them. We talked the matter over for
a bit, and then I made up my mind
that knew the locality they we're
making for, about o hundred miles
away, so I dropped the trail alto
gether, and we rode to the point
as hard as we could go to out them
off.
"When We got there we oamped and
strung out lot Of sentries and wait
ed. Well, We waited'and waited, and
nothing turned up, 80 We saddled up
again aud went home, feeling @ bit
sick. Then We did what We should
have done 1t first. We went on to
the Indian reserve and asked for Col
onel H., the Indian agent. I,got him
to sot as interpreter, and I put $500
into his hands asking him to explain
that this sum would be paid to any
Indian who should bring me in sight
OF my lost horses. That was oil I
wanted them to do. I could attend
to tho rest es the business myself.
They held q bit Of q powwow, and
then three Of them, White Wings seA
two more, whom 7 called Jack and
Charlie-I couldn't tackle their In
dian names-stepped out and volun.
teered to accompany Es, i. is..".,; 81;
1T was about the: frst week in Au;.
gust, and the prairin grasa was long,
dry and yellow. They. took up tho
srail at smart oantsr and made for.
tho border not quite straight, bus 90
that they struck it about 1870 miles or 81.
lao miles southwest from Che ranch. ENt E.
The country wac mostly prairie, come
fat. some rolling. There were some
deep valleys and ooulesl and one Of. u
sWo :sapges Of hills. We followed
them at:at fast srot, bnt somletinss
they we're 30 fer ahead tsat I'VE had 10.
fire shots to attract their attention and al,
make,them stop. We had some diff.
GUILTY in making them understand,
and they travelled at such pace thst
! couldn't believe they were on on the
line at all. We couldn't 1 make; o,s.t {
anything, not even d bruised blade tof
grass. But every now and then we
came TO q soft place, where The! hoof
marks were disoefnible and some: I, ,o,f
the stolen shoraes played out here iialnad
there, and We passed them, still fol-
lowing the main body. One mare
was ,a confirmed ijibber.; 5$ T II 2},Bsey,,s,r
could do anything with her myself, jrl,1 Z
and they turned her loose, !, 90 thar:
when we, struck the border there
were only nine horses 'le9t ID !: the
bunch. B. s: +: $5s' s :.} %.
There we're three horss thieves 4
and they had taken 8 long rope and
fastened il 10 the saddle Of the leader.
AZ the Ssha$ sud .5Yode 81 isscond mar. !.
trying: 70 keep'it as ,tau1t Eas possible
The stolen horses were haltered along
this rope. eight on each sido. and thseII 5
third man toiaa ali e With :3 A A
whip, to% keep them iss moving 81 Nov
and then the leading 3 pony and mo
trailing pony would stop \ silaia Md phaHgs.
places: heueyor this had lhsppanad;
thaG Indians csllsd sourt &c tsnt;on Is it.5