THE RED INDIAN SIGN LANGUAGE. 195 



else, until they appear to the duller observer as almost 

 supernatural. * 



It is a common practice when in a possibly hostile 

 neighbourhood, or where tracks show that game which 

 is invisible has recently crossed the trail, for caravans 

 to send forward one or more experienced plainsmen 

 to reconnoitre the country ahead, so as to obtain the 

 earliest intelligence of what is passing in front; and 

 on the great western prairies of America a regular 

 " sign language " has been invented among the Indians, 

 by which their scouts can communicate or telegraph 

 back information from almost incredible distances. 

 These men will frequently show themselves on command- 

 ing points, so far to the front or on the flanks that 

 to the inexperienced eye they appear as mere black 

 dots in the distance, and yet an accomplished guide 

 acquainted with the Indian sign language finds no 

 difficulty, not only in watching their movements, but 

 in deciphering the information which they desire to 

 convey. To a minor degree this plan has been adopted 

 by European cavalry vedettes to signal that the enemy 

 is in sight, by galloping right or galloping left in a 

 circle, as the case may be; but it has never been 

 brought to anything like the perfection to which the 

 sign language has arrived among 'the Red Indian 

 prairie tribes. We do not now refer to heliographs or 

 flashing light signals at night, or other scientific 

 .apparatus in use among Europeans, for conveying 

 information from a distance, but merely to what the 

 unaided man can do in signalling to his friends, without 



* Contrast these observations with what we have said as to the pre- 

 -valence of short sight among city children. See Vol. ii., p. 12. 



