SHOOTING ANTELOPES. 137 



antelopes on my nag's back, where I lashed them fast with 

 the lariat to the cantle of the saddle. Swinging myself into 

 the pig-skin, congratulating myself on the success of my 

 stalk, for camp I headed, and already had commenced in im- 

 agination to enjoy a hearty meal on some of the tidbits. 

 Humming possibly the old regimental march, and my 

 thoughts wandering to far-off scenes, I was surprised, on 

 issuing from a dip in the prairie, to see several antelopes 

 feeding undisturbed about a hundred and fifty yards off. 

 Throwing my head forwai'd over the saddle-tree, in a mo- 

 ment I was on my feet, and, hurriedly hobbling my beast, 

 I made a cast to the right to obtain a better leeward posi- 

 tion. Prairie-dog earths were numerous, and apparently 

 untenanted, or else the whole population had turned in for 

 their afternoon siesta. These irregularities of the surface 

 afforded an abundance of shelter. A few minutes' crawl- 

 ing, and I was within easy range, when, springing to my 

 feet, the game commenced their succession of buck-jumps, 

 which they invariably practice before settling to their reg- 

 ular stride. Pitching my gun to the shoulder, I drew sight 

 upon the leader ; over he went ; while my second shot, fired 

 too hurriedly, sent its bullet harmlessly ricochetting, its 

 course being marked by a puff of dust where the missile 

 bounded each time it hit the soil. The fall of the leader 

 turned the remainder of the flock, and with the velocity of 

 falcons they rushed past Broomstick ; up went his tail and 

 down went his head ; half a dozen violent struggles, and 

 the hobbling broke. For a moment he stood, then threw 

 his mane recklessly about, turned round and gave his dead 

 load a sniff, and breaking into a succession of buck-jumps, 

 finishing with a shower of kicks, divested himself of his 

 burden, and, in spite of all I could shout, with the most per- 

 fect disregard for consequences, started for home at a pace 

 so unusual and corky that I vowed if ever I had leg over 



