Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US/UK black) to move, to start moving; thus sift in v., to arrive.

1907		S.E. White Arizona Nights III 285: He sifted in wearin’ one of these hard-boiled hats.
1911		J. Lomax Cowboy Songs 303: Sift along, boys, don’t ride so slow.
1914		A.P. Man Jr ‘Further Word-List – Arizona’ in DN IV:ii 165: sift in, v. To arrive. ‘The gang sifted in, looking pretty cheap.’.
1922		P.A. Rollins Cowboy 75: One no work, much eat just sifted in.
1934		O. Strange Sudden 54: In sifts an ornery little runt like yu.
1954		Oh Boy! No. 16 9: We’ll sift along to Silver Creek and see what we can see.
1997		N. Barlay Curvy Lovebox 21: Siftin’s really wha’m good at. Movin’. Skankin’. Disappearin’.