256 ABUNDANCE OF ANTELOPE. 



riding my mare and packing a waggon-horse, and I left for 

 Sheyenne the same day, riding "Henry" and putting my bundle 

 on the second horse of our team. I was three days going in, 

 having stopped occasionally to stalk some antelopes. I never 

 saw so many as on that ride, several bands being continually 

 in sight ; they seemed very tame, letting you ride up to 

 within a hundred and fifty yards of them. I got two in one 

 stalk, having crawled to within seventy yards of them, and 

 later the same day I tried " Henry's " speed after them as the 

 plain was level for miles. I tied up the pack-horse to a bush, 

 and by riding down a hollow I managed to get near a single 

 buck, running him for fully three miles, and being as far 

 behind then as when I started. Henry was very game, as he 

 was thorough-bred, but his action was far too high to be fast, 

 and " Polly " could have run away from him easily. 



On my way I overtook some miners from the mountains, 



about eighty miles north of where F and I had been. 



They had done well, but had had a good deal of trouble from 

 Indians during the summer, having had all their horses run off, 

 so that they were obliged to send in to Sheyenne to buy ponies 

 before they could leave. None of this present party had ever 

 seen that place, so I was able to give them a few hints, for it 

 was necessary to be careful as they had several thousand 

 pounds with them in dust. They were on their way to Iowa, 

 where they had left their families, and said they would take 

 the train' at once and only remain one night to sell their 

 animals. Many a train has been stopped by " road agents " 

 for a less sum than they had with them ; and 1 know of a case 

 where three of them had emptied the pockets of everyone in a 

 long train and not a shot was fired at them, so much terror 



