8o The Wilderness Hunter 



saw me at once: and all those away from their 

 homes scuttled toward them, and dived down the 

 burrows, or sat on the mounds at the entrances, 

 scolding convulsively and jerking their fat little bod 

 ies and short tails. This commotion at once at 

 tracted the attention of the antelope. They rose 

 forthwith, and immediately caught a glimpse of the 

 black muzzle of the rifle which I was gently pushing 

 through the grass tufts. The fatal curiosity which 

 so often in this species offsets wariness and sharp 

 sight, proved my friend ; evidently the antelope could 

 not quite make me out and wished to know what I 

 was. They moved nervously to and fro, striking 

 the earth with their fore hoofs, and now and then 

 uttering a sudden bleat. At last the big buck stood 

 still broadside to me, and I fired. He went off with 

 the others, but lagged behind as they passed over 

 the hill crest, and when I reached it I saw him stand 

 ing, not very far off, with his head down. Then he 

 walked backward a few steps, fell over on his side, 

 and died. 



As he was a big buck I slung him across the sad 

 dle, and started for camp afoot, leading the horse. 

 However, my hunt was not over, for while still a 

 mile from the wagons, going down a coulie of Dry 

 Creek, a yearling prong-buck walked over the divide 

 to my right and stood still until I sent a bullet into 

 its chest ; so that I made my appearance in camp with 

 three antelope. 



