EARLY DAY STORIES. 81 



hide; and still more to see him raise his white tail, for an 

 antelope does not raise his tail when he runs, and if he did 

 it would be too inconspicuous to be seen. And it is equally 

 surprising that the antelope stretched away like a grey- 

 hound — there are no two animals whose modes of running 

 are more unalike than the antelope and the grey-hound. The 

 running of a sheep and a grey-hound are as nearly aHke 

 as that of a greyhound and an antelope. 



It probably will be considered presumptuous for one 

 like myself who is almost devoid of learning, to criticise 

 one of our standard authors; but I shall risk the hazard 

 to my reputation to make the following statement : If from 

 the descriptive works of Washington Irving, Francis Park- 

 man and James Fenimore Cooper, the misconceptions and 

 exaggerations were eliminated, their books would be con- 

 siderably abridged in size, and would be of increased value, 

 especially those of the last named author. 



On either side of the rump of an antelope there is a 

 patch as large as a man's hand of snow-white hair, which 

 is four or five inches in length, and that lies down flat and 

 smooth when the animal is feeding or at rest; but when 

 about to start to run, which is done with a wonderfully 

 quick, light, springy bound, these patches of hair rise and 

 stand straight up. If the reader should ever be so lucky 

 and so happy as to hunt antelope, when the moment comes 

 when he is trying to get a shot, it will be all right to wait 

 for a better chance as long as the animal stands and gazes, 

 or even stamps his foot and repeats his "tchew" "tchew," 

 but when those white hairs begin to rise — shoot quick, or 

 you will lose the chance. The antelope have their young 

 right out on the open prairie, where there is no cover ex- 

 cepting grass a few inches high. Several times I have 

 found the young before they were old enough to run. They 

 will then lie flat down with the under jaw close to the 

 ground, and ears flat, as though pinned down, and they 



