ON THE CATTLE RANGES. 79 



of feet high, crested with tufts of coarse grass. 

 Raising my head very cautiously I peered 

 through these and saw the prong-horn about 

 a hundred and fifty yards distant. At the 

 same time I found that I had crawled to the 

 edge of a village of prairie dogs, which had 

 already made me aware of their presence by 

 their shrill yelping. They saw me at once : 

 and all those away from their homes scuttled 

 towards them, and dived down the burrows, 

 or sat on the mounds at the entrances, scold" 

 ing convulsively and jerking their fat little 

 bodies and short tails. This commotion at 

 once attracted the attention of the antelope. 

 They rose forthwith, and immediately caught 

 a glimpse of the black muzzle of the rifle 

 which I was gently pushing through the grass 

 tufts. The fatal curiosity which so often in 

 this species offsets wariness and sharp sight, 

 proved my friend ; evidently the antelope 

 could not quite make me out and wished to 

 know what I was. They moved nervously to 

 and fro, striking the earth with their fore 

 hoofs, and now and then uttering a sudden 

 bleat. At last the big buck stood still broad- 

 side to me, and I fired. He went off with the 

 others, but lagged behind as they passed over 

 the hill crest, and when I reached it I saw 

 him standing, not very far off, with his head 

 down. Then he walked backwards a few 

 steps, fell over on his side, and died. 



As he was a big buck I slung him across 

 the saddle, and started for camp afoot, leading 

 the horse. However my hunt was not ove. , 

 for while still a mile from the wagons, going 

 down a coulie of Dry Creek, a yearling prong- 



