A Trip on the Prairie. 



half a day, fixing the horse's legs in the right position and 

 then taking it by the forelock and endeavoring to get 

 it to make a plunge ; each plunge bringing it perhaps 

 a few inches nearer the firm ground. Quicksands are even 

 more dangerous than these mud-holes, as, if at all deep, a 

 creature that cannot get out immediately is sure to be 

 speedily engulfed. Many parts of the Little Missouri are 

 impassable on account of these quicksands. Always in 

 crossing unknown ground that looks dangerous it is best 

 to feel your way very cautiously along, and, if possible, to 

 find out some cattle trail or even game trail which can be 

 followed. 



For some time after leaving the creek nothing was 

 seen ; until, on coming over the crest of the next great 

 divide, I came in sight of a band of six or eight prong-horn 

 about a quarter of a mile off to my right hand. There 

 was a slight breeze from the southeast, which blew 

 diagonally across my path towards the antelopes. The 

 latter, after staring at me a minute, as I rode slowly on, 

 suddenly started at full speed to run directly up wind, and 

 therefore in a direction that would cut the line of my 

 course less than half a mile ahead of where I was. Know- 

 ing that when antelope begin running in a straight line 

 they are very hard to turn, and seeing that they would 

 have to run a longer distance than my horse would to 

 intercept them, I clapped spurs into Manitou, and the 

 game old fellow, a very fleet runner, stretched himself 

 down to the ground and seemed to go almost as fast as 

 the quarry. As I had expected, the latter, when they saw 

 me running, merely straightened themselves out and went 



