A Trip on the Prairie 203 



prong-horn; and these few did not include any 

 owned by either of my two friends. But the an 

 telope were always being obliged to break back from 

 the edge of the plateau, and so were forced constantly 

 to offer opportunities for cutting them off ; and these 

 opportunities were still further increased by the 

 two hunters separating. One of them would go to 

 the upper end of the plateau and start the band, rid 

 ing after them at full speed. They would distance 

 him, but would be checked in their career by com 

 ing to the brink of the cliff; then they would turn 

 at an angle and give their pursuer a chance to cut 

 them off; and if they kept straight up the middle 

 the other hunter would head them. When a favor 

 able moment came the hunters would dash in as 

 close as possible and empty their revolvers or re 

 peaters into the herd ; but it is astonishing how hard 

 it is, when riding a horse at full speed, to hit any 

 object, unless it is directly under the muzzle of the 

 weapon. The number of cartridges spent compared 

 to the number of prong-horn killed was enormous; 

 but the fun and excitement of the chase were the 

 main objects with my friends, to whom the actual 

 killing of the game was of entirely secondary im 

 portance. They went out after them about a dozen 

 times during the winter, and killed in all ten or fif 

 teen prong-horns. 



A prong-horn is by far the fleetest animal on the 

 plains; one can outrun and outlast a deer with the 

 greatest ease. Very swift greyhounds can overtake 

 them, if hunted in leashes or couples; but only a 



