ANTELOPE. 197 



There is a phase of curiosity peculiar to this animal, 

 which is in itself more remarkable than that ordinary 

 curiosity which it has in common with all plains animals, 

 the black-tail especially ; and this has added more antelope 

 to my bag than any other of its characteristics. It is a 

 panic produced by a combination of curiosity and terror. 

 In a country where antelope have not been much hunted, 

 they become, as it were, beside themselves at the appear- 

 ance of any object very unusual and strange. 



Thus a waggon train crossing such a country will 

 attract every herd within the range of vision. They will 

 rush at it with every indication of extreme terror, and, 

 passing within a few yards, will sometimes make a com- 

 plete circuit of the train, going off at last in the direc- 

 tion from whence they came. I have known a few 

 instances where the panic was so great that the herd 

 passed between the waggons, although the whole wide 

 plain was open to them. 



On one occasion, when scouting in the ' Two Butte ' 

 country, then very little known, I crossed three or four 

 miles of very high table land, during the passage of 

 which at least half a dozen herds charged desperately at 

 my two waggons, made in some instances complete 

 circuits, and went off, leaving one or more of each herd 

 to pay the penalty of their temerity. 



On another occasion, when passing in a ' spring 

 waggon ' over a broad, barren, and apparently lifeless 

 plain, three specks appeared on the far horizon, and, 

 making directly for us, soon developed into antelope. 

 The waggon was stopped. A companion and myself 

 seized our rifles, sprang out, and made all ready to give 

 them a warm reception. The antelope came on, passed 

 completely round us, within fifty yards, and went off 

 in the direction they came, unhurt, though we each fired 

 eight or ten shots at them. I do not like to record such 

 an instance of bad shooting ; but, as the sportsman as a 

 rule remembers only his remarkably successful shots, it is 



