32 SAGACITY OP INDIANS. 



the buffaloes are passing back and forth in their migrations during the 

 spring and winter. 



The parties of Indians whose trails we crossed in our march to-day 

 were going south, and not having their families with them, our inter- 

 preter infers that they are bound for Mexico upon a foray. Had we 

 met them and learned that such was their intention, we might perhaps 

 have dissuaded them from proceeding further. They may have seen 

 our trail: if so, and they are friendly, they will visit us. Should they 

 not come in, however, I shall send out an Indian after them to ascertain 

 where they encamped and the time they left. In consequence of their 

 known hostility, our Delawares are getting somewhat cautious about 

 encountering them. The interpreter says he would not be afraid to 

 meet five or six, but thinks he would avoid a greater number. I directed 

 him, in the event of his meeting a party, to invite them to come to camp, 

 as I had a talk for them. He replied, " Suppose he want to kill me — I 

 not tell him." . 



This man has often been among the prairie Indians, understands their 

 language and character well, and the moment he sees a trail made by 

 them, or an old deserted camp, he at once determines of what nation 

 they were; the number of horses and mules in their possession; whether 

 they were accompanied by their families, and whether they were upon 

 a war expedition or otherwise ; as also the time (within a few hours) of 

 their passing, with many other facts of importance. 



These faculties appear to be intuitive, and confined exclusively to the 

 In iian: I have never seen a white man that could judge of these mat- 

 ters with such certainty as they. For example, upon passing the trail of 

 the Indians to-day, one of our Delawares looked for a moment at the 

 foot-prints, picked up a blade of grass that had been crushed, and said 

 the trail was made two days since, when to us it had every appearance 

 •of being quite fresh ; subsequent observations satisfied us that he was 

 correct. 



Upon another occasion, in riding along over the prairie, I saw in the 

 sand what appeared to me to be a bear-track, with the impression r>f all 

 of the toes, foot, and heel ; on pointing it out to one of the Indians, he 

 instantly called my attention to some blades of grass hanging about ten 

 inches over the marks, and explained to me that while the wind is blow- 

 ing, these blades are pressed towards the earth, and the oscillation there- 

 by produced had scooped out the light sand into "the form I have men- 

 tioned. This, when explained, was perfectly simple and intelligible ; 

 but I am very much inclined to believe the solution of it would have 

 puzzled the philosophy of a white man for a long time. 



