THE ANTELOPE 245 



When they were released they went off, well together, 

 with wonderful speed down the slight grade, and we 

 rode after them at a gallop. The antelopes took the 

 alarm when the dogs started, and it was a long chase 

 before the dogs got near them. As they curved to the 

 right or left the dogs took the short cut across, and in 

 this WM}' gained sometimes, but only to fall behind 

 again when the quarry went straight away. After we 

 had gone several miles the antelopes made a curve to 

 the right, and two smart old dogs left the pack, cut 

 across the intervening space, and soon were well up 

 with the game. We put spurs to the horses and urged 

 them to move faster as we saw one of the dogs make a 

 spring at an antelope's throat. He missed, however, 

 and fell to the ground. The other was but a few feet 

 behind and did his best to get into a position where he 

 could seize an antelope, but the beasts were running 

 for their lives, and for another mile or more the dogs 

 did not seem to gain a foot. A wolf jumped in the 

 grass, crossed ahead of me with a part of our pack 

 at his heels, and as they passed quite near and the 

 antelopes were by this time very far away, I fol- 

 lowed the wolf, hoping to see the dogs overtake him. 

 It had begun to snow heavily (it was the last week in 

 November), and with the blinding snow in my face I 

 pushed on until the chase led through a prairie-dog 

 village, a most dangerous ground for hard riding, 

 and I drew rein among the squeaking dogs as a little 

 (jwl flapped almost into my saddle. The dogs and 

 w'oU were out of sight, and as I looked back I dis- 

 covered that I was entirely alone. It was impossible 

 to see any distance. The plain and sky were blended 



