THE BUFFALO. 289 



hundred and fifty miles of the journey consumed a week's 

 time. 



After leaving the Platte River, the road entered the sand- 

 hills, and as the country looked favorable for hunting, 



E and I started to hunt together, on a line parallel with 



the course of the slow-moving wagons, in the hope of find- 

 ing an Antelope. After an hour's tramp over the sand, a 

 fine buck Antelope was sighted feeding quietly in a little 

 hollow surrounded by sand-hills, and we proceeded to stalk 

 him as quietly as possible. A low sand-hill to the leeward 

 of the unsuspecting quarry covered our advance until 

 within one hundred yards. While still three hundred yards 

 distant from our contemplated victim, the eager boy stopped, 

 and in a hoarse whisper asked: 



"How are we going to get that Antelope to the wagons 

 after we have killed himF' 



"We will not have any trouble in carrying him," I 

 replied; for I had been there before. 



We crept to the top of the sand-hill, cocked our guns, 

 and slowly raised our heads above the grass to get a stand- 

 ing-shot at the sharp-eyed rascal. A red streak speeding 

 over the opposite sand-hill rewarded our eager gaze, and 

 having vainly sent a couple of bullets in chase of the flying 

 brute, we shouldered our guns and marched dejectedly back 

 to the wagons. 



The Antelope in this part of the country had been much 

 hunted, and had long ago been educated beyond the point 

 of paying any attention to flags, lures, etc., further than to 

 fly like the wind in the opposite direction at the first sight 

 of them, and had taught a crest-fallen hunter about my size 

 that the sharpest-eyed brute that ever wore hair is the 

 much-hunted Antelope of the plains. I have, on many 

 occasions, caught first sight of them, but rarely have I 

 been able to creep up and deliver my fire without being 

 caught by that gaze which seems to sweep the horizon 

 without an effort. 



About half-way between the Platte and Republican Riv- 

 ers, we saw our first Buffaloes. A band of half a dozen bulls, 



19 



