112 TRAVELS IN THE EIGHTIES. 



At length, however, I was successful in obtaining 

 the necessary supply of meat, by killing my first ante- 

 lope or pronghorn after a successful stalk; and secur- 

 ing the haunches, I followed the waggon tracks, and 

 soon saw our party some distance ahead engaged 

 in cutting tent-poles, as there were none obtainable 

 nearer the camping ground which they intended 

 to reach under Frank's guidance that evening. This 

 was the last I saw of them that day. Immediately 

 afterwards I stalked and secured another antelope, 

 and now, heavily laden with meat, continued follow- 

 ing the waggon tracks till I came to a spot where 

 they had evidently left the road (known as the Chero- 

 kee trail), and had turned down to cross a steep gully. 

 The country at this point was very hilly, and thickly 

 covered with sage, while the ground was dry, and 

 therefore showed no wheel marks, excepting at the 

 bottoms of the various small " gulches," where it 

 was damper and softer. I next climbed a hill, or 

 rather I made Pete do so, to his great disgust, but 

 from the summit no living creature was visible, 

 except thousands of antelope, some standing within 

 fifty yards. I was completely lost and the shades 

 of night were falling apace. However, I concluded, 

 as my party must have passed on one side or other of 

 a steep hill in front, that I should there find the 

 missing wheel marks. But fate decided otherwise, 

 for just then I caught sight of two stags, both mule- 

 deer, with, as it seemed, particularly fine horns, the 

 largest of which I determined should be mine, for 



