Pluck on the Long Trail | Page 4

Behind the burros we came: the two other
first-class Scouts, and then the second-class Scouts, who were Jed
Smith and myself.
We took along two flags: one was the Stars and Stripes and the other
was our Patrol flag--green with a white Elk totem on it. They were
fastened to a jointed staff, the Stars and Stripes on top and the Patrol
flag below; and the butt of the staff was sharpened, to stick into the
ground. The flags flew in camp. We did not have tents. We had three
tarps, which are tarpaulins or cowboy canvas bed-sheets, to sleep in, on
the ground, and some blankets and quilts for over and under, too. (Note
4.) And these and our cooking things and a change of underclothes and
stockings, etc., were packed on the burros with panniers and top-packs
lashed tight with the diamond hitch. (Note 5.)
We decided to pack along one twenty-two caliber rifle, for rabbits
when we needed meat. One gun is enough in a camp of kids. This gun
was under the general's orders (he was our leader, you know), so that
there wouldn't be any promiscuous shooting around in the timber, and
somebody getting hit. It was for business, not monkey-work. We took
one of our bows, the short and thick Indian kind, and some of our
two-feathered arrows, in case that we must get meat without making
any noise. (Note 6.) And we had two lariat ropes. (Note 7.) Each pair of
Scouts was allotted a war-bag, to hold their personal duds, and each
fellow put in a little canvas kit containing tooth-brush and powder,
comb and brush, needles and thread, etc. (Note 8.)
For provisions we had flour, salt, sugar, bacon, dried apples, dried
potatoes, rice, coffee (a little), tea, chocolate, baking-powder,
condensed milk, canned butter, and half a dozen cans of beans, for
short order. (Note 9.) Canned stuff is heavy, though, and mean to pack.
We didn't fool with raw beans, in bulk. They use much space, and at
10,000 and 12,000 feet they take too long to soak and cook.

We depended on catching trout, and on getting rabbits or squirrels to
tide us over; and we were allowed to stock up at ranches, if we should
pass any. That was legitimate. Even the old trappers traded for meat
from the Indians.
We had our first-aid outfits--one for each pair of us. I carried Chris's
and mine. We were supplied with camp remedies, too. (Note 10.)
Doctor Wallace of our town, who was our Patrol surgeon, had picked
them out for us.
General Ashley and Major Henry set the pace. The trail out of town
was good, and walking fast and straight-footed (Note 11) we trailed by
the old stage road four miles, until we came to Grizzly Gulch. Here we
turned off, by a prospectors' trail, up Grizzly. The old stage road didn't
go to Green Valley. Away off to the northwest, now, was the Medicine
Range that we must cross, to get at Green Valley on the other side. It is
a high, rough range, 13,000 and 14,000 feet, and has snow on it all the
year. In the middle was Pilot Peak, where we expected to strike a pass.
The prospect trail was fair, and we hustled. We didn't stop to eat much,
at noon; that would have taken our wind. The going was up grade and
you can't climb fast on a full stomach. We had a long march ahead of
us, for old Pilot Peak looked far and blue.
Now and then the general let us stop, to puff for a moment; and the
packs had to be tightened after Sally's and Apache's stomachs had gone
down with exercise. We followed the trail single file, and about two
o'clock, by the sun, we reached the head of the gulch and came out on
top of the mesa there.
We were hot and kind of tired (especially little Jed Smith, our "fatty");
but we were not softies and this was no place to halt long. We must
cross and get under cover again. If anybody was spying on us we could
be seen too easy, up here. When you're pursuing, you keep to the high
ground, so as to see; but when you're pursued you keep to the low
ground, so as not to be seen. That was the trappers' way.
I'll tell you what we did. There are two ways to throw pursuers off the

scent. We might have done as the Indians used to do. They would
separate, after a raid, and would spread out in a big fan-shape, every
one making a trail of his own, so that the soldiers would not know
which to follow; and after a long while they would come together