180 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. 



the chase. But such is its extraordinary fleetness and wind, 

 that a single horse has no possible chance of outrunning- It, or 

 tiring it down ; and the hunters are obliged therefore to resort 

 to stratagem. About twenty Indians, mounted on fine horses, 

 armed with bows and arrows, left the camp ; in a short time 

 they descried a herd of ten Antelopes ; they immediately sepa- 

 rated into squads of two or three, and formed a scattered circle 

 round the herd, for five or six miles, keeping at a wary distance, 

 so as not to alarm them until they were perfectly inclosed, and 

 usually selecting some commanding eminence as a stand. Hav- 

 ing gained their positions, a small party rode towards the herd, 

 and with wonderfiil dexterity the hunter preserved his seat, and 

 the horse his footing, as he ran at full speed over the hills and 

 down the steep ravines, and along the borders of the precipices. 

 They were soon outstripped by the Antelopes, which, on gaining 

 the other extremity of the circle, were driven back and pursued 

 by the fresh hunters. They turned, and flew, rather than ran, 

 in another direction ; but there too they found new enemies. 

 In this way they were alternately pursued backwards and for- 

 wards, till at length, notwithstanding the skill of the hunters — 

 who were merely aiTned with bo'\\4S and arrows — they all 

 escaped ; and the party, after running for two hours, returned 

 without having got one, and their horses foaming with sweat. 



" ' This chase, the greater part of which was seen from the 

 camp, formed a beautiful scene, but to the hunters it is exceed- 

 ingly laborious, and so unproductive, even when they are able 

 to worry the animal down, and shoot him, that forty or fifty 

 hunters will sometimes be engaged for more than half a day, 

 without obtaining more than two or three Antelopes.' 



" The Prong-horn is found in the vicinity of C ail Ion-house 

 during the summer, and is usually called a Goat by the Cana- 

 dians. The Creek Indians call them ApestachoeJioos. Lewis 

 and Clarke saw the animal very frequently during their journey 

 to the mouth of the Columbia River, though they were fewer on 

 the plains of Columbia, than on the eastern side of the Rocky 

 Mountains. Great numbers of these animals were seen by Lewis 



