Signs made by Indians to communicate information over great distances. Signals were made with the pony, blanket, mirror, smoke, fire arrow, and many other things.
In signaling with a pony on Indian rode in a circle, or backwards and forward. In some tribes the size of the circle, or the distance ridden up and own the crest of a hill, denoted the size of the party seen by the signaler or the quantity of game spotted. Should the Indian, after giving his signal, suddenly hide himself and his pony, this meant danger.
The blanket signal could be seen for long distances. The Indian would grasp the corners of the blanket with his right and left hands and swing it back and forth before him in a vertical curve. As the blanket went to the left, the left hand almost touched the ground, and the same when it went to the right. Indians could give many signals with a blanket. Sweeping it two or three times in front as described above was the sign for question, and usually was the first signal given. If the blanket was brought near the ground and almost spread out, the signal meant an armistice or cessation of hostilities.
Indians had an extensive code in signaling with mirrors. The principal use of the mirror was to attract attention, give warning, or by a number of flashes agreed upon by sender and receiver, to convey a message. naturally the mirror could be used only when the sun shone. A young man, in courting a girl, sometimes used a mirror to attract her attention, signaling from a small hill near camp.
Smoke signals were much like those of the mirror, in that the codes were used. A small fire was built of dry wood and then grass or green brush was thrown on it. A blanket was held over the fire and removed at intervals, sending up puffs of smoke that spelled out a message.
Indians also used fire arrows at night. Sometimes, too, figures or pictures were made on the ground or on trees or rocks to convey information to other members of the tribe, or to members of another tribe. If a pipe were drawn on a rock for instance, it meant peace; if a tomahawk, war.
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