198 Hunting Trips on the Prairie 



many hunters stoutly deny that it takes place at all. 

 The hair is of remarkable texture, very long, coarse, 

 and brittle; in the spring it comes off in handfuls. 

 In strong contrast to the reddish yellow of the other 

 parts of the body, the rump is pure white, and when 

 alarmed or irritated every hair in the white patch 

 bristles up on end, greatly increasing the apparent 

 area of the color. The flesh, unlike that of any other 

 plains animal, is equally good all through the year. 

 In the fall it is hardly so juicy as deer venison, but 

 in the spring, when no other kind of game is worth 

 eating, it is perfectly good; and at that time of the 

 year, if we have to get fresh meat, we would rather 

 kill antelope than anything else; and as the bucks 

 are always to be instantly distinguished from the 

 does by their large horns, we confine ourselves to 

 them, and so work no harm to the species. 



The antelope is a queer-looking rather than a 

 beautiful animal. The curious pronged horns, great 

 bulging eyes, and strange bridle-like marks and 

 bands on the face and throat are more striking, but 

 less handsome, than the delicate head and branching 

 antlers of a deer; and it entirely lacks the latter 

 animal's grace of movement. In its form and look, 

 when standing still, it is rather angular and goat- 

 like, and its movements merely have the charm that 

 comes from lightness, speed, and agility. Its gait 

 is singularly regular and even, without any of the 

 bounding, rolling movement of a deer; and it is, 

 consequently, very easy to hit running, compared 

 with other kinds of game. 



