the old scout walk was the
straight-foot walk, because it covers the ground with the least
resistance. When the foot is turned so that it is pushed sideways, there
is waste motion. The toes should push backward, not quartering, to get
the most out of the leg muscles. George Catlin, the famous Indian
painter, who lived among the Indians of the West before any of us were
born, says that he could not walk in moccasins until he walked
straight-foot. The Indians turned their toes in a little.

Note 12, page 10: All the Indian tribes of the Western plains and
mountains, and most of the old-time scouts, knew sign language. This was
a language by means of motions of the hands, helped by the body and
face; so that persons could sit and talk together for hours and not
utter a word! In time of danger, when silence is desired, Scouts of
to-day will find the sign language valuable; and by it the Scout of one
country can talk with the Scout of a foreign country.

A book on the "Indian Sign Language" was written in 1884 by Captain W.
P. Clark of the United States Army, and it gives all the signs for
things from A to Z.

Fitzpatrick's sign for "Watch!" was to bring his right hand with back
up, in front of lower part of the face, the first two fingers extended
and separated a little and pointing down the trail. The thumb and other
fingers are closed. The tips of the two fingers represent the two eyes
looking! When he meant "Listen!" he put his hand, palm front, to his
ear, with thumb and first finger open, so that the ear set in the angle
of them; and he wriggled his hands slowly.

Jim Bridger's sign for "Horseback!" was two fingers of one hand placed
astride the edge of the other hand, and the sign for "Wolf!" is the hand
(or both hands) with palm to the front, before the shoulder, and the
first two fingers pricked up, separated like two ears. Then the hand was
moved forward and upward, just a little, like a wolf reconnoitering over
a crest.

Occasionally the sign for something was not precisely the same among all
the Indian tribes. The Pawnee sign for "wolf" was the first finger of
each hand stuck up alongside the head, like ears pricking. But it was a
sign easily read. All the signs were sensible and initiative. When the
"future" was meant, the finger was thrust ahead with a screwing motion,
as if boring; when the "past" was meant, the hand and finger were
extended in front and drawn back with the screwing motion. When he was