232 Hunting Trips on the Prairie 



days looking up a band of strayed ponies, and as 

 they had exhausted their supply of food, I gave them 

 the antelope hams, trusting to shoot another for my 

 own use. 



Nor was I disappointed. After leaving the cow- 

 boys I headed the horse toward the more rolling 

 country where the prairies begin to break off into 

 the edges of the Bad Lands. Several bands of an- 

 telope were seen, and I tried one unsuccessful stalk, 

 not being able to come within rifle range; but to- 

 ward evening, when only about a mile from a 

 wooded creek on whose banks I intended to sleep, 

 I came across a solitary buck, just as I was topping 

 the ridge of the last divide. As I was keeping a 

 sharp lookout at the time, I reined in the horse the 

 instant the head of the antelope came in sight, and 

 jumping off crept up till I could see his whole body, 

 when I dropped on my knee and took steady aim. 

 He was a long way off (three hundred yards by 

 actual pacing), and not having made out exactly 

 what we were he stood still, looking intently in our 

 direction and broadside to us. I held well over his 

 shoulder, and at the report he dropped like a shot, 

 the ball having broken his neck. It was a very good 

 shot; the best I ever made at antelope, of which 

 game, as already said, I have killed but very few in- 

 dividuals. Taking the hams and saddle I rode on 

 down to the creek and again went into camp among 

 timber. Thus on this trip I was never successful in 

 outwitting antelope on the several occasions when 

 I pitted my craft and skill against their wariness and 



