ridge to the east of us, which rose ab- 

 ruptly from the plain where we were. 

 I was soon able to make out that they 

 were antelope. But the antelope had 

 also seen us, and there was as much 

 chance of getting near to them, by di- 

 rect pursuit, as of a snail catching a 

 hare. So we rode on calmly northward 

 for half a mile, making believe we had 

 not seen them, until we passed out of 

 sight behind a long hill. Then we be- 

 gan an elaborate detour up the moun- 

 tain, keeping well out of sight, until we 

 judged that the animals, providing 

 they had not moved, were below us, 

 under the rocky ledge nearly a mile 

 back. 



We tied up the horses on that dizzy 

 height, and stole, Nimrod with a car- 

 bine, I with the rifle, along a treacherous, 

 shaly bank which ended, twenty feet 



