220 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 



animal's height, excessively muscular in make, and 

 strongly indicative of the immense velocity with which 

 it can travel. So great is this animal's speed that I 

 feel confident in saying that neither greyhound nor 

 racehorse would have the slightest chance to overtake 

 it on any description of tolerably firm soil. The 

 Indians catch them generally by making a surround, 

 when the squaws enjoy the honour of the slaughtering. 

 Hundreds are frequently taken in this manner. Again, 

 they are sometimes captured by frightening them into 

 the snowdrifts ; but, after all, the greatest numbers fall 

 a prey to their own curiosity. To stalk within gun- 

 shot of the prong-horn is at all times difficult ; they 

 are gifted with the most acute senses of hearing and 

 smelling, and once alarmed but a short space of time 

 will elapse before they have placed miles between them- 

 selves and the intruder ; but if the hunter approach up 

 wind within two or three hundred yards of his prey, 

 carefully conceal himself, draw his ramrod, and on it 

 place a boot, cap, or piece of rag, and describe ec- 

 centric rotary motions through the air, the unsuspi- 

 cious but curiosity-excited beauties will soon observe the 

 novel machine, and keep gradually approaching, till 

 they will frequently come so close that the swarthy 

 redskin can without fail pierce them with an arrow. 

 As food, when young, they are excellent ; when old, 



