326 BIG GAME OF NORTH AMERICA. 



found on dead-level ground — at least, one can seldom get 

 close to them in such a place -one has to make nice calcu- 

 lations, after the lirst shot, as to where the sprightly fellow 

 will be when the ball reaches him. Allowance must be 

 made for the time it will take, and then, again, other angles, 

 from the uneven lay of the land, etc. 



I once got into a hot corner, while Antelope-shooting, 

 that I am not at all likely to forget. I was out with the 

 Seventh Cavalry (Custer's regiment), on our way up the 

 Missouri River. I don't remember how many troops of 

 cavalry there were, but following them came a long wagon- 

 train, strung out — including the troops — say three-quarters 

 of a mile. Presently, the trail we were following took us a 

 short cut across one of the big bends of the Missouri, the 

 neck of which was not over one mile wide. The scouts 

 and Indians were skirting the river a couple of miles to our 

 right, when suddenl^^ we heard several shots fired from that 

 direction. We were not long in suspense as to what had 

 brought forth their fire, for sweei)ing over the prairie, com- 

 ing straight at us, were several hundred Antelope — perha^^s 

 seven or eight hundred in all, though there may have been 

 a thousand. It so hapj)ened that our entire outfit was 

 spanning the narrow neck from side to side, so that the 

 Antelope found themselves in a cut de sac from which there 

 was no escape. 



When the firing commenced, I was about midway 

 between the column and the scouts, so I had full view of this 

 magnificent band of fleet-footed animals charging in full 

 career two or three hundred yards x>ast me. Seeing some 

 stragglers, T dismounted, picketed my horse, and lay in wait 

 for them. Taking broadside shots as they vanished across 

 my line of fire, I killed two or three in I don't know how 

 many shots — probably ten — and was just commencing to 

 enjoy this battue- shooting, when a volley of bullets came 

 whizzing by, so uncomfortably close that I instantly dropped 

 to the ground. 



I soon discovered, to my dismay, that I was directly 

 between two fires, and as the scouts from the river-side were 



