PRONGHORN OF THE PLAINS 183 



play together. Frequently one of the males is 

 the lively leader of twenty or thirty. At other 

 times the old antelopes play, go through a series 

 of marches and countermarches. They race 

 back and forth and over short circles. When 

 thus engaged they commonly have sentinels 

 posted on the outskirts. 



Most other animals appear to forget possible 

 enemies while playing, but the nervous ante- 

 lope, with big open spaces round it, appears 

 never to be quite in repose. 



Depending upon speed rather than upon 

 stealth, fighting ability, or concealment, as a 

 means of escaping enemies, and living in the 

 plains with a magnificence of unobstructed dis- 

 tances, it has learned to be watchful, to use sen- 

 tinels, and to flee even when danger is afar. 



Usually when the antelope lies down it 

 selects a spot well away from any ravine, bluff, 

 willow clump, or sagebrush thicket that could 

 conceal an enemy or that would enable an enemy 

 to approach it closely unseen. 



Under most conditions the female appears 

 to be the acknowledged leader. In the majority 

 of instances in which I have watched moving 

 flocks of antelope fleeing small numbers or a 

 number of alarmed antelope preparing to move 

 it was under female leadership. 



The pronghorn lives in a home territory. 



