Coursing the Prongbuck 
The prongbuck is the most characteristic 
and distinctive of American game animals. 
Zoologically speaking, its position is unique. 
It is the only hollow-horned ruminant which 
sheds its horns. We speak of it as an ante- 
lope, and it does of course represent on our 
prairies the antelopes of the Old World, and 
is a distant relative of theirs; but it stands 
apart from all other horned animals. Its 
position in the natural world is almost as 
lonely as that of the giraffe. 
The chase of the prongbuck has always been 
to me very attractive, but especially so when 
carried on by coursing it with greyhounds. 
Any man who has lived much in the cow- 
country, and has wandered about a good deal 
over the great plains, is of course familiar 
with this gallant little beast, and has probably 
had to rely upon it very frequently for a sup- 
ply of fresh meat. On my ranch it has always 
been the animal which yielded us most of the 
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