TRAVELLING. 415 



others of the tribe, will, if the new country prove desir- 

 able as a hunting ground, set up in rough and difficult 

 ground small mounds of stones to indicate the best route 

 to be taken by those who come after. Many such cairns 

 are to be found in the rough ground of the Laramie 

 plains, and also in the precipitous canons of Southern 

 Kansas. These cairns are very frequent in the country 

 north of the North Platte, and I have heard many 

 surmises as to their object. It is simply to indicate the 

 position of the trail when the ground is covered with 

 snow. So in a timbered country in the north, stones 

 will be found placed in the forks and branches of trees, 

 on each side of the trail, which could hardly be followed 

 when covered with snow, except by this simple device. 



Most of the plains tribes have a comparatively cir- 

 cumscribed country, which they learn by heart. Every 

 mark is known, every precipitous dell affording safety in 

 retreat, every water hole, no matter how hidden in 

 rock or prairie ; and, having seen it once, he knows it for 

 all his lifetime, either for his own use, or to communi- 

 cate his knowledge to his people. The Indian travels 

 comparatively little by night ; never as a matter of choice. 

 When advancing towards an enemy whom he hopes to 

 surprise, or when escaping from too vigorous a pursuit, 

 he overcomes the natural distaste for night travel superin- 

 duced by his religion. Even in these cases, however, he 

 wants all the light he can get, and the knowing frontier 

 settler or plainsman always takes especial care to guard 

 well his stock about the full of the moon in May or June. 



