ROCKY MOUNTAINS AND WESTERN CATTLE LAND. 119 



I found again before it had time to seek a fresh 

 hiding place. Seeing it was discovered it got up at 

 once, while I was yet at some distance, and managed 

 to conceal itself in some manner in a crevice; and, 

 though the whole country was comparatively bare, it 

 succeeded, finally, in escaping in a manner I never 

 was able to understand. 



The vitality of a full-grown antelope is extraor- 

 dinary. "While cutting up an old buck, the heart 

 continued beating, since the blood issued in spurts 

 from the severed arteries after decapitation ; and the 

 fore-leg kept moving after the hams and * tender-loin ' 

 had also been cut off, which last continued to contract 

 for some minutes after separation from the ribs. 

 Great numbers of antelope are wounded without being 

 brought to bag, from the use of the *45 "Winchester 

 magazine rifle, which carries a heavy bullet, but the 

 charge of powder is not sufficient for an animal of 

 such vitality. The idea held by some people seems to be 

 as regards hunting antelope, to ' pump ' as much lead 

 as possible into the centre of a herd, on the chance of 

 killing a few. Englishmen, however, hold that this 

 is unsportsmanlike. Yet, I have seen an American 

 lady do this, without any idea that it was cruel. 

 Unless hit in a vital part, antelope will not falj, and 

 if they do, frequently rise again. 



An antelope on one occasion fell to my first shot, 

 and on my getting within a few yards, rose and 

 made off. I fired two more shots ; one entered the 

 centre of each ham from behind, and broke both 



