The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-04-28

the best fighters and riders among
all the Indians. To assist them the
troops had in their employ a numb
er of Indian scouts and trailers who
were famed for their experience and
for their knowledge of the habits of
the Indians who were out. These
trailers were also Apaches, but of a
different tribe from those who were
at war. The ghiracahuas, who had
lett their reservation and who had
been raiding and numbering, were
admittedly the worst Indians in all
the United States. Several Tonic
Apaches had been brought into camp
for the purpose of assisting us in
following the Chiracahuas, and one
night word came in that a band OF
the raiders had made its way into
the valley below us and under the
very nose of the troops had robbed
several ranches and murdered the
inhabitants.
In order to make a successful
move against these Indians it was
necessary to march at night on &C
count of warnings sent ahead by sig
nal fires. AS soon as night came
troop of cavalry and company of
trailers were out after the raiders.
All that day Indian scouts had
searched the surrounding country for
trails, and when the troops were
ready to start the scouts had a trail
which they believed led directly to
the rancheria or village of the raid
ing Apaches. The trail was followed
over stony and rough ground, and
through underbrush, in the dark,
the trailers actually feeling their way
,r,tt bit, 10
experience no difficulty in tracing the
trail with their fingers in the dark,
but suddenly there was a halt, and
word was sent back that the trail
had been crossed by a fresher one.
A consultation was held, the In
dams holding their hands on the
trail until an officer came up. A light
was procured and the new trail ex-
amined. The cross trail proved to be
that of a bear, which had passed
along after the Indians The origi-
nal was taken up and followed
steadily through the night, and the
rancheria was found and captured
early in the morning. This remark
able feat of trailing was considered
the greatest ever known, and receiv-
ed special mention in the report of
the General to the War Department
The Indian is taught from earl
lest childhood to note and examine
every mark on the ground. He is
given constant instruction regard
ing the placing of his feet while on
the march, and under all circumstan-
ces, whether in pace or war he hides
his trail. 1t has become second ma
ture to him, and the watching of the
trail he crosses is as instructive as is
the hiding of his own. But it is not
alone by watching the marks left on
the ground that he follows those
whom he is pursuing. He does as he
knows they have done, and travels
by land marks.
His perfect knowledge of the
country tells where the fleeing party
is bound to pass if not too closely
pursued, and instead of following an
intricate trail over wide expanse of
country, he makes directly for the
place where he is certain the trail
will cross bridge or pass through
in the mountains. If the fleeing par
ty makes devious twists and turns,
crossing and recrossing its own trail
in order to throw the followers off
the expert trailer does not attempt
to follow these turns, but goes direct
ly to the landmark ahead, and thus
i frequently gains an hours time. 1t
is only when the pursued is very
closely pushed that he will abandon
the landmarks and endeavor to throw
the pursuers off by striking off in
dependently across the country.
Sometimes a large party finds it
self SO hotly followed that it is COM
PEELED to scatter, and members take
devious ways across mountains or
plains to point some hundreds of
miles away. Then the trailer finds
his work cut off from him, for the
trailer can not proceed SO rapidly as
he who makes the trail. The Indian
on raid pays little attention to his
front. He knows that his weakness
| is in his trail, and he always care
! fully guards the rear of his march
His knowledge of his own ability to
| find the trail of his enemy makes
him afraid of the discovery of that
left by himself
The Cheyenne Raid.
! Reference is still made to the
Cheyenne raid" which took place
in Kansas in 1878 This memorable
event was not raid in the true sense
of the word. The northern Cheyen-
mes had been rounded up and trans
ported to the Indian Territory, where
they were held on a reservation,
much against their wills. Wild Hog,
one of the most famous chiefs of the
tribe, led the tribe in an effort to
break away from the reservation and
return to the old home. One hundred
and twenty men, with their women
and children, left Fort Reno, fought
their way through one line of troops
and evaded and outran two other
lines. They travelled 800 miles in ten
days, but so expert was their chief
that they left scarcely a mark to
show where they went over the pra-
irie. They marched in open order,
| covering belt from three to eight
miles wide, and left trail SO slight
on the hard prairie that the most ex-
pert trailers among the troop were
unable to trace them.
| The fourth line of troops turned
| the Indians after a battle in which
| Colonel Lewis was killed, and then
| Wild Hog turned toward the settled
part of Kansas to get fresh mounts.
After the raid the band fled to the
| sand hills, where at secreted itself
near water holes known to the In
l n oil Oh