122 PBAIEIE AND FOREST. 



Having found no game in the timber, I struck out for 

 the open land, and riding several miles I saw two small 

 droves of antelopes. This beautiful animal is very diffi- 

 cult to stalk ; but as there appeared to be no other means 

 of getting on intimate terms with them, I hobbled my 

 horse, and taking advantage of all intervening obstacles, 

 managed unseen to get within five hundred yards. Further 

 approach now looked impossible, and I had almost relin- 

 quished the idea, when it struck me that by making a 

 slight detour to leeward, I could find shelter from a dip 

 that appeared to lead in the direction of the game. On 

 hands and knees, slowly I crossed the open, my stomach 

 almost on the ground. The antelopes still continued 

 feeding; so far they had not been alarmed. Twenty yards 

 more would again place me under cover. He who wishes 

 successfully to stalk game must never deem precaution 

 thrown away. On the care with which you pass over an 

 open space depends often the success of your labour. 

 With a feeling of gratification I regained shelter, and such 

 shelter as I was able to take the twists and knots out of 

 my legs and arms, with the consciousness that I could do 

 so without imperilling success. A few moments' inspec- 

 tion of the game sufficed. With renewed care, slowly but 

 steadily, I made for the shelter of an unusually high 

 prairie-dog's earth. From the back of it I would be 

 "within eighty or a hundred yards of my prey. The ante- 

 lopes, perfectly ignorant of my presence, were quietly 

 feeding, while occasionally one or two of the youngsters, 

 like kids, would shake their heads at each other, rear up 

 or stump with their feet, and make other grotesque 



