THE AMERICAN ANTELOPE 



751 



outright, but passed through the bodies of two others, 

 and these fell dead within a few feet of the first one. 

 There they all lay a buck and two does ! 



I had another experience with antelope when I was 

 stationed at Fort Laramie, Wyoming, as post surgeon. 

 Some ten or eleven miles from the fort we come to 

 Laramie Peak an isolated mountain known throughout 

 the country. Beyond lay the Laramie Plains, noted in 

 those days for the number of antelope found there, and 

 for the fact that so few, either Indians or white men, 

 ever visited the locality. It was in the autumn; we had 

 not tasted venison for quite a while, and only a few of 

 the officers cared to hunt very much. Lieutenant Rufus 

 Brown, of the Fourth Infantry, and I did, however, and 



A DIRECT SIDE VIEW OF THE SAME SKULL 



Figure 6. Both cuts, as well as Figure 7, reproduced from photographs by 

 the author. Note the marked circularity of the orbit, and the remark- 

 ably long coronoid process of the lower jaw. 



one fine afternoon we arranged to go over to the Laramie 

 Plains early the next morning, to see if we -could not 

 bag a few antelope, and, perhaps, a black-tail or two. 

 Sergeant Conrad was ordered to accompany us an ex- 

 cellent man and a fine shot. The poor fellow was shot 

 some time afterward by road agents, when he was in 

 charge of the squad with the paymaster's outfit a most 

 dastardly murder, several other men being ambushed 

 with him on the same occasion. 



We three left at peep of day next morning, well 

 mounted, well equipped, and with a fine lead mule. The 

 early part of the afternoon found us on the other side of 

 the mountain where the broad Laramie Plains begin, 

 with weather and everything in our favor. We did little 

 for the rest of the day beyond exploring in the im- 

 mediate neighborhood of our camp. Plenty of antelope 

 could be seen over the plains single ones and bunches 

 of them. We had determined not to do any serious 

 hunting until next day, when we would make an early 

 start, with fresh horses and all hands thoroughly rested. 

 Although we had left hot weather behind us at the fort, 

 it was a different story where we now found ourselves; 

 and before sundown there was a very rapid decline in 

 the temperature. So, after supper and about sundown, 



having picketed and looked out for the animals and 

 put out the fires, we made up the bunks on the ground. 

 After the fashion of an old soldier, the sergeant rolled 

 himself up in his blanket about twenty feet from where 

 Brown and I turned in together. We had a roll of gray 

 army blankets, with a rubber one next the ground ; and 

 we needed both, for it fell below freezing-point before 

 morning. Sleep? Oh no, we did not sleep! Like two 

 rocks that's all. It was a superb, starlit night, but no 

 moon, and where we lay it was dark as pitch. I do not 

 think I moved at all from the time we turned in until 

 toward morning, and I am very sure the lieutenant did 

 not. I awoke as daylight slowly crept upon us, and was 

 instantly wide awake with all my faculties on the alert. 

 Brown was flat on his back, snoring like a good fellow ; 

 and I expect his joints were quite as stiff as my own 

 from the cold and the ride the day before. I felt for my 

 carbine and revolver; they were close alongside where 

 I had placed them when we turned in. Cautiously rais- 



ANOTHER SKULL OF A MALE ANTELOPE 



Figure 7. This shows the horn-cores, as they appear when their sheaths 

 are removed. Loaned the writer by the United States National Museum, 

 and photographed by him. Collected at Fort Griffin, Texas, by Dr. H. 

 McEIdery. A bullet-hole is seen in the forehead between and just in 

 front of the horn-cores; the latter are sharp in front and rounded behind. 



ing myself on my elbow, I saw that Brown's guns were 

 where they belonged, too; and the sergeant looked in 

 the dim light like an old walrus, rolled up in his blankets 

 and sleeping on his side. Pretty soon my eyes became 

 accustomed to the early morning light, and I could, 

 without much difficulty, distinguish objects that were not 

 too far off. I sat up and gave my eyes, face, and 

 stiffened lknbs a good rub, and this put the blood into 

 circulation again. Brown never moved but kept on 

 snoring. I was about to try for another snooze, and 

 had come down on my elbow before lying down, when 

 I thought I saw three whitish objects out on the prairie, 

 which certainly appeared to be moving. Antelope, I 



