CHAPTER V 



HUNTING THE PRONG-BUCK ; FROST, FIRE, AND 

 THIRST 



AS with all other American game, man is a worse 

 foe to the prong-horns than all their brute 

 enemies combined. They hold their own much bet- 

 ter than the bigger game; on the whole even better 

 than the blacktail ; but their numbers have been wo- 

 fully thinned, and in many places they have been 

 completely exterminated. The most exciting method 

 of chasing them is on horseback with greyhounds; 

 but they are usually killed with the rifle. Owing 

 to the open nature of the ground they frequent the 

 shots must generally be taken at long range; hence 

 this kind of hunting is pre-eminently that needing 

 judgment of distance and skill in the use of the long- 

 range rifle at stationary objects. On the other hand 

 the antelope are easily seen, making no effort to es- 

 cape observation, as deer do, and are so curious that 

 in very wild districts to this day they can sometimes 

 be tolled within rifle shot by the judicious waving of 

 a red flag. In consequence, a good many very long, 

 but tempting, shots can be obtained. More car- 

 tridges are used, relatively to the amount of game 

 killed, on antelope, than in any other hunting. 



(9') 



