378 SPORTING ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST. 



spent the greater portion of the day in lassoing them ; but 

 we secured only three, as our party were not much used 

 to that mode of hunting. We returned to camp about fo ill- 

 o'clock in the afternoon and partook of a hearty dinner, of 

 which antelope-steak was the most prominent portion. The 

 meat was by no means pleasant to the taste, being both dry 

 and leathery ; but as we wanted sport and not pabulum, we 

 cared little for that, and ate it only because it was a novel 

 dish to some of us. After smoking our cigars, we again 

 started out; but this time each carried a long staff, to 

 which was attached a red piece of cloth, as well as our 

 rifles. Riding about two miles from camp, we struck a 

 herd, but, instead of chasing them, we dismounted, and, 

 planting our pennants in the ground at a distance of sev- 

 eral yards from each other, we tethered our horses and lay 

 down near our gaudy banners. The antelopes, which were 

 startled at our first appearance, began to circle around us 

 while engaged in this preparation, as if trying to learn 

 what in the world it meant. Finding that they were not 

 molested, they commenced to draw closer gradually, until 

 a dozen finally came within range of the rifles. A sharp 

 series of reports followed, and four fine animals were tum- 

 bled over. This was as much as we expected to accom- 

 plish that evening, so we collected our spoils, and, throw- 

 ing them across our horses, wended our way toward 

 camp. 



The system of still-hunting is the one most in vogue 

 among the Indians and pioneers ; but it lacks all the 

 spirit and excitement of the chase, and is in reality only 

 fit for pot-hunters. The sons of the forest were the first 

 to make it known to the white hunters ; for, with their 

 usual sharpness of observation, they noticed that curiosity 

 was one of the principal faculties in the Cervidce, and, act- 

 ing on this knowledge, they made that faculty the means 

 of luring them to destruction. Were the pleasures of an- 

 telope-coursing more generally known, it would become 

 what hare- coursing is in the British kingdom, and with 

 this greater advantage, that it affords much keener amuse- 



