Coursing the Prongbuck 



The prongbuck is the most characteristic 

 and distinctive of American game animals. 

 Zoologically speaking, its position is unique. 

 It is the only hollow-horned ruminant which 

 sheds its horns. We speak of it as an ante- 

 lope, and it does of course represent on our 

 prairies the antelopes of the Old World, and 

 is a distant relative of theirs ; but it stands 

 apart from all other horned animals. Its 

 position in the natural world is almost as 

 lonely as that of the giraffe. 



The chase of the prongbuck has always been 

 to me very attractive, but especially so when 

 carried on by coursing it with greyhounds. 

 Any man who has lived much in the cow- 

 country, and has wandered about a good deal 

 over the great plains, is of course familiar 

 with this gallant little beast, and has probably 

 had to rely upon it very frequently for a sup- 

 ply of fresh meat. On my ranch it has always 

 been the animal which yielded us most of the 



9 129 



