180 



days ; but if the grass is fresh and green, grass away up the Porcupine, that 



as is the case during the greater part of seemed to be moving. We rode toward 



the year, the Prong-horns do not drink them at a lively trot for perhaps a mile, 



at all." and then stopped to reconnoitre again. 



The food of the antelope consists to a From this point we could plainly distin- 



great extent of the short, succulent herb- guish them, though they looked to be 



age of the prairie, of moss, and also, to a about the size of jack rabbits. We again 



limited extent, of the young and tender put the rowels to our donkeys and rode 



branches of trees. Like many other rumi- rapidly up to within about a mile of them, 



nants, this animal is passionately fond of when we picketed our animals in a low 



salt and they will remain about saline de- swale, took out our antelope flag a piece 



posits for many hours, satisfying them- of scarlet calico about half a yard square 



selves by licking the salty ground. attached it to the end of my wiping 



The antelope is the swiftest runner of stick, and were ready to interview the an- 



any animal in North America, though telopes. 



perhaps less agile and speedy than some "I crawled to the top of a ridge within 



of its relatiVes in the old world. It has plain view of the game, and planted my 



been said by competent observers that so flag. The breeze spread it out, kept it 



swiftly do they run that it is absolutely fluttering, and it soon attracted their at- 



impossible to distinguish their limbs. tention. They were then near the bank 



The senses of the antelope are unus- of the river, grazing quietly, but this bit 



ually developed. Their sight is exceed- of colored rag excited their curiosity to 



ingly keen and their hearing very acute, a degree that rendered them restive, anx- 



Their sense of smell is so well developed ious, uneasy, and they seemed at once to 



that no danger can possibly approach be seized with an insatiable desire to find 



from the windward side. When a herd is out what it was. An antelope has as 



feeding, sentinels are placed on the out- much curiosity as a woman, and when 



skirts to "scent any impending danger, they see any object that they don't quite 



and to give due warning to the herd, understand, they will travel miles and run 



Their curiosity is one of their most pecu- themselves into all kinds of danger to 



liar qualities and seems to overshadow find out what it is. They have been 



every other sense. known to follow an emigrant or freight 



For a number of years this graceful wagon with a white cover several miles, 



animal has been considered royal game and an Indian brings them within reach 



for the sportsman and a good round-up of his arrow by standing in plain view 



of antelopes is considered a great achieve- wrapped in his red blanket. Some hunt- 



ment among hunters. Mr. G. O. Shields, ers "flag" them by lying down on their 



in his interesting book, "Hunting in the back, holding one foot as high as possi- 



Great West," very ^vividly describes a ble, and swinging it to and fro. Apiece 



hunt for antelopes, and we cannot better of bright tin or a mirror answers the 



illustrate the peculiarities of the animal same purpose on a clear day. Almost 



than by giving his pen sketch : any conspicuous or strange-looking ob- 



"We had heard from some ranchmen ject will attract them, but the most con- 

 along the way that the buffalo herd was venient, as well as the most reliable at 

 at this time grazing about fifteen to twen- all times, is the^ little red flag, such as we 

 ty miles up the Big Porcupine, and know- employed in this instance, 

 ing. that antelopes are nearly always "Huffman went to the top of another 

 found hanging on the outskirts of every ridge, to my right and some distance in 

 large herd of bison, we were on the look- advance, and Jack crawled into a hollow 

 out for them, for it would not seem at all on the left, and well in advance, we three 

 strange to find them near the stage trail forming a half circle, into which it was 

 on which we were traveling. We scanned our intention if possible to decoy the 

 the country closely with the field glass game. When they first discovered our 

 and were finally rewarded by seeing a flag they moved rapidly toward it, some- 

 number of small white spots on the dead times breaking into a trot, but when they 



