FOREST RANGERS FOLLOWING THE TRAIL. 2 09 



whose war party they were following would reveal 

 to him the general direction they would be sure to 

 follow to regain the villages of their nation; also the 

 tribe they belonged to would be disclosed by certain 

 little signs known to experienced scouts, such as the 

 peculiar markings of their foot-gear * (as shown in the 

 footprints), their particular mode of marching, and 

 numerous other points, which their intimate knowledge 

 of Indians would make them aware of; then the fact 

 of dividing the party would make it easier to form an 

 almost exact estimate of the number of warriors it 

 contained ; their footmarks on the different trails would 

 be certain to ahow this. Though Indian war parties 

 generally endeavour to conceal these details by walking 

 in Indian file and causing each man carefully planting 

 his feet in the footmarks of the man in front. We may be 

 sure all these things, and more, were duly noted by this 

 experienced scout and his white companions, long before 

 the critical moment came when they would suddenly 

 jump upon, and destroy the sleeping Indian war party (we 

 can see it all nearly as clearly as if we had been 

 there in person), for even Indians must rest: moreover, 

 the girls would not be able to stand the strain, and 

 their strength would become exhausted; that would 

 force the Indians either to kill them, or else carry 

 them; if they did the first, the valuable captive was 

 lost and with her the amount of her ransom ; we may 

 be pretty sure therefore, that rude litters were con- 



* Almost every Indian tribe, even to this day, has its own peculiar 

 pattern for moccassins, snow-shoes, and other articles of daily wear. 

 So again, their huts, method of making fires, camping, etc., all have 

 their peculiar form so that it was easy for a skilled woodsman to 

 recognise the particular tribe they represented. We could cite numerous 

 instances of this, did time and space permit. 



VOL II. 14 



