A Trip on the Prairie. 195 



Ordinary hounds are rarely, or never, used to 

 chase this game ; but coursing it with greyhounds is 

 as manly and exhilarating a form of sport as can be 

 imagined, a much better way of hunting it than is 

 shooting it with the rifle, which latter, though needing 

 more skill in the actual use of the weapon, is in every 

 other respect greatly inferior as a sport to still-hunting 

 the black-tail or big-horn. 



I never but once took a trip of any length with ante 

 lope hunting for its chief object. This was one June, 

 when all the men were away on the round-up. As is usual 

 during the busy half of the ranchman's year, the spring 

 and summer, when men have no time to hunt and game 

 is out of condition, we had been living on salt pork, 

 beans, potatoes, and bread ; and I had hardly had a 

 rifle in my hand for months ; so, finding I had a few 

 days to spare, I thought I should take a short trip on the 

 prairie, in the beautiful June weather, and get a little 

 sport and a little fresh meat out of the bands of prong- 

 horn bucks, which I was sure to encounter. Intending to 

 be gone but a couple of days, it was not necessary to take 

 many articles. Behind my saddle I carried a blanket for 

 bedding, and an oil-skin coat to ward off the wet ; a large 

 metal cup with the handle riveted, not soldered, on, so 

 that water could be boiled in it ; a little tea and salt, and 

 some biscuits ; and a small water-proof bag containing my 

 half dozen personal necessaries not forgetting a book. 

 The whole formed a small, light pack, very little encum- 

 brance to stout old Manitou. In June, fair weather can 

 generally be counted on in the dry plains country. 



