WESTERN WILD SPORTS. 179 



groancl is passed over appears to the spectator to resemble the 

 flight of a bird rather than the motion of a quadruped. 



" In one instance, Captain Lewis, after various fruitless at- 

 tempts by w^inding around the ridges, succeeded in approaching 

 a party of seven that stood upon an eminence towards which 

 the wind was unfortunately blowing.- The only male of the 

 party frequently encircled the summit of the hill, as if to an- 

 nounce any danger to the group of females which stood upon 

 the top. Before they saw Captain Lewis, they became alarmed 

 by the scent, and fled while he was at the distance of two hun- 

 dred yards. He immediately ran to the spot where they had 

 stood ; a ravine concealed them from him, but at the next 

 moment they appeared on the second ridge at the distance of 

 three miles. He could not but doubt whether these were the 

 same he had alai-med, but their number and continued speed, 

 convinced him they were so, and he justly infers that they must 

 have run with a rapidity equal to that of the most celebrated 

 race-horse. 



" Yet, notwithstanding the keenness of their senses, and sur- 

 prising velocity of their course, the Prong-horned Antelope is 

 often betrayed to his destruction by curiosity. When the hun- 

 ter first comes in sight, his whole speed is exerted, but if his 

 pursuer lies down and li fts up his hat, arm or foot, the Antelope 

 trots back to gaze at the object, and sometimes goes and re- 

 turns two or three times, until it comes within reach of the 

 rifle. This same curiosity occasionally enables the Wolves to 

 make them a prey ; for sometimes one of them will leave his 

 companions, to go and look at the Wolves, which, should the 

 Antelope be frightened at first, crouch down, repeating the 

 manoeuvre, sometimes relieving each other, until they succeed in 

 decoying it within their power, when it is pulled down and 

 devoured. But the Wolves more frequently succeed in taking 

 the Antelope when they are crossing the rivers, as they are not 

 good swimmers. ' The chief .game of the Shoshonees,' says 

 Lewis and Clarke, ' is the Antelope, which, when pursued, re- 

 treats to the open plains, where the horses have full room for 



