STILL- HUNTING THE ANTELOPE. 331 



some meat I can at least have some supper and a smoke, 

 which goes a long way toward reconciling a man with 

 himself and the world generally. 



I have never had much success in flagging Antelope; in 

 fact, I don't think I ever killed one that way. Although I 

 have tried this ruse, never could I lure them within reach. 

 The scheme doubtless worked all right in early days, 

 before the game of the prairies became educated to the 

 seductive wiles and sly ways of the white man; in fact, 

 old frontiersmen have told me some most amusing stories 

 of how they have lured the little Gazelles to their ruin. 

 The time was when the white canvas of a prairie-schooner 

 would set a band of Antelope all agog, and they would 

 approach so near to it that they could be easily shot 

 down by the teamsters and guards. In those days, a white 

 or red rag attached to a stick and allowed to flutter 

 in the breeze would bring an Antelope, or a herd of them, 

 from any distance where they could see the strange appari- 

 tion. 



An old cruiser told me that on one occasion he was 

 riding down the Yellowstone, and saw a small band on the 

 level river-bottom, about two miles away. He wanted meat, 

 and there was no cover from which he could approach the 

 herd. He had no flag; but an old-timer is equal to any 

 emergency, and, dismounting, he took off his red flannel 

 undershirt, tied it to his wiping-stick, stuck the latter in 

 the ground, and unfurled his banner to the summer breeze. 

 The curious little creatures soon sighted the novel ori- 

 flamme, and started for it. The hunter had but to lie low 

 and await their coming. They came within a hundred yards 

 before the belching smoke, the echoing report, and the hiss- 

 ing lead revealed the cheat; then, those that were not hit, 

 hustled for the foot-hills. 



To hunt Antelope successfully, one must be well 

 mounted; indeed, I have never seen anyone try it on foot, 

 as the circuits necessary to be taken to circumvent a band 

 are sometimes of such a radius that it would take hours to 

 go round on foot. 



