ight of his comrades
on his right and left, and of not allowing them to get out of his
reach, so as to break the chain of communication, will be apparent to
all, and great care should be taken that the men do not mistake their
brothers in arms for the enemy. This may be prevented by having two
_pass-words_, and when there be any doubt as to the identity of two
men who meet during the night operations, one of these words may be
repeated by each. Above all, the men must be fully impressed with the
importance of not firing a shot until the order is given by the
commanding officer, and also that a rigorous personal accountability
will be enforced in all cases of a violation of this rule.

If the commander gives the signal for commencing the attack by firing a
pistol or gun, there will probably be no mistake, unless it happens
through carelessness by the accidental discharge of firearms.

I can conceive of nothing more appalling, or that tends more to throw
men off their guard and produce confusion, than a sudden and unexpected
night-attack. Even the Indians, who pride themselves upon their
coolness and self-possession, are far from being exempt from its
effects; and it is not surprising that men who go to sleep with a sense
of perfect security around them, and are suddenly aroused from a sound
slumber by the terrific sounds of an onslaught from an enemy, should
lose their presence of mind.

TELEGRAPHING BY SMOKES.

The transparency of the atmosphere upon the Plains is such that objects
can be seen at great distances; a mountain, for example, presents a
distinct and bold outline at fifty or sixty miles, and may occasionally
be seen as far as a hundred miles.

The Indians, availing themselves of this fact, have been in the habit
of practicing a system of telegraphing by means of smokes during the
day and fires by night, and, I dare say, there are but few travelers
who have crossed the mountains to California that have not seen these
signals made and responded to from peak to peak in rapid succession.

The Indians thus make known to their friends many items of information
highly important to them. If enemies or strangers make their appearance
in the country, the fact is telegraphed at once, giving them time to
secure their animals and to prepare for attack, defense, or flight.

War or hunting parties, after having been absent a long time from their
erratic friends at home, and not knowing where to find them, make use