THE ANTELOPh\ OR PlWSti-UUliS. 379 



incut, and gives hounds, horses, quarry, and hunters a bet- 

 ter opportunity of testing their speed, power, mettle, and 

 endurance. 



The Scotch deer-hound would, in my estimation, be an 

 invaluable dog for chasing the antelope on the plains of 

 the West; yet that splendid creature is scarcely known 

 there, for I saw only three of the pure-blooded species in 

 the entire region beyond the Rocky Mountains, though 

 mongrels and crosses were not rare. Many of the best 

 hunters in the country know little or nothing about the 

 various breeds of dogs useful in the chase; hence they 

 take no pains about procuring them, and seem to be con- 

 tent with anything in the canine form so long as it will 

 chase an animal. 



In stalking the antelope, I have sometimes killed three 

 and four in a few hours, but I have on other occasions 

 been out all day without getting more than a fawn. I 

 have found that it will allow a person on horseback to ap- 

 proach it nearer, without taking alarm, than it will one 

 afoot, and that it will often give a man a good opportunity 

 for an excellent shot if he walks slowly and halts occasion- 

 ally, provided he is to the leeward, as its curiosity, rather 

 than its fears, are then aroused. A Sharp's rifle of forty- 

 five calibre, and carrying one hundred grains of powder, 

 is an excellent weapon to use in stalking it; and if a per- 

 son is only careful in his movements, is not in too much 

 of a hurry, does not walk too rapidly, and hunts to wind- 

 ward, he will find that the supposed great difficulty of kill- 

 ing the wary prong-horn will soon vanish, and that he may 

 place it among his trophies of the chase without much dif- 

 ficulty. 



It is an easy matter to get fawns at almost any time, 

 as they are rather tame and unsuspicious, and so fond of 

 playing, that, if they have none of their own companions 

 to romp with, they make imaginary playfellows out of 

 clumps o.f weeds or grass, and indulge in all sorts of gam- 

 bols about them. Even the adults may be brought with- 

 in rifle range if a person stands still or sits down, provided 



