DRILLING. 369 



The only really wonderful thing about this telegraph- 

 ing is the very great distance at which it can be read by 

 the Indian. I have good ' plains eyes ;' but while, even 

 with an excellent field glass, I could scarcely make out 

 that the distant speck was a horseman, the Indian by my 

 side would tell ine what the distant speck was saying. 

 Indians signalling and telegraphing are undoubtedly only 

 modifications and extensions of the sign language hereto- 

 fore spoken of. All are offspring of a necessity growing 

 out of the constant wariness incident to a life of peculiar 

 danger. 



I have already mentioned the religious belief which 

 condemns every scalped warrior to annihilation, and cf 

 the heroism often displayed by the Indian in risking his 

 own life to save unscalped the body of his chief or friend. 

 This superstition is the primary cause of a drill peculiar 

 to the plains Indian. It is to stoop from the horse at full 

 speed, and pick up objects from the ground. At first 

 small and light objects are selected. These are gradually 

 exchanged for heavier and more bulky ones, until some 

 few individuals attain such wonderful proficiency as to be 

 able, unassisted and at full speed, to pick up from the 

 ground, and swing across his horse, the body of the 

 heaviest man. 



This, however, is generally done by two Indians. 

 Hushing neck by neck on either side of the prostrate form, 

 each rider stoops at the same instant, seizes the part most 

 convenient, and the combined strength and address of the 

 two swings the body in front of one of the riders, who 

 carries -it away to a safe place. The warriors take turns 

 in picking and being picked up, for at any time during a 

 fight each may have to act or be acted upon as fore- 

 shadowed in the drill. When drilling as wounded, the 

 prostrate man will assist the others by extending arms 

 and legs. When drilling as dead, not only is no help 

 afforded, but the ' acting ' dead man assumes by turns 



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