TO HORSE-HEAD CROSSING. 
95 
it. They returned much alarmed, declaring that they 
had seen “Indian sign,” and pointed out to me in the 
midst of the vast plain that lay before us the well-known 
Indian signal of a puff of smoke suddenly rising from 
the earth. This is produced by making a fire in a hole, 
and then smothering it with leaves. The hole is sud- 
denly opened, when the smoke rushes forth in a dense 
body, and rises high in the air in a perpendicular 
column. Such columns are often seen in traversing 
the deserts and plains, and cannot be mistaken. Not 
knowing but Indians were near, our arms were got 
ready, and every bush and rock we passed was care- 
fully scrutinized. No Indians, however, were seen by 
us ; although at the crossing and near our camp there 
were fresh tracks of a large number of mules and horses, 
with a few moccasin prints, which convinced us that a 
party of Indians^ had crossed within twenty-four hours 
of us. 
