QO NECESSITY FOR SLEEPLESS VIGILANCE. 



easy prey to their sleepless watchfulness. There are others 

 who will not be convinced that the eyes of the Indians are 

 always upon them, because they see nothing to indicate the 

 fact ; but the truth is, every move you make, every camp 

 you visit, is seen and noticed by them with the keenest 

 scrutiny. If they perceive that you are careful and always 

 on your guard and prepared for any emergency, they will 

 hesitate to attack, even with ten times your force, especially 

 if the party does not offer sufficient inducement for plunder; 

 but if they observe the least neglect you will be assaulted 

 with every probability of their success." * 



These attacks by the Plains Indians, as we have 

 before remarked, were fortunately seldom made under 

 cover of darkness, and although notable instances to 

 the contrary may be cited, we believe it is generally 

 admitted that on account of superstitions and other 

 reasons they usually elected, in the vast majority of 

 cases, to make their attacks by day; on this head Mr. 

 Cremony further observes: 



"Let it be borne in mind that the Apaches have hardly 

 ever been known to attack at night. Under cover of darkness 

 they will steal into camp, with wondrous skill, in hopes of 

 robbery; but that is the extent of their night operations. 

 Their onslaughts are almost invariably made by day, and at 

 such times and places as tend to create the greatest sense 

 of security. When they mean mischief, no marks are to be 

 seen, no tracks, no signs observable, and the unsuspecting 

 traveller is lulled into a fatal belief that no Indians are near, 

 and is caught as surely as a spider catches the confid- 

 ing fly."f 



What is true of the Apaches, is true of pretty well 

 all the Indian tribes, whose war tactics are generally 



* Life Among the Apaches, by John C. Cremony, published 1868, 

 pp. 1389. 

 f Ibid., p. 40. 



