162 SPORT AND TRAVEL 



size of a capercailzie hen, but with longish pointed 

 tail-feathers. 



Thinking that it would be a good thing to shoot 

 a couple of these birds for the pot, for we had seen 

 nothing in the shape of game since leaving M's. 

 ranch, with the exception of the unapproachable 

 geese and a couple of hares, I was walking to the 

 waggon to get a shot-gun, when three prong-horned 

 antelopes appeared on the top of a piece of rising 

 ground about five hundred yards distant. They had 

 probably been intending to have a drink in the very 

 nasty alkali-impregnated waterhole by the side of 

 which we were camped. They now stood gazing at 

 us from their safe position on the top of the high 

 ground for several minutes, and we were able to ex- 

 amine them carefully through our glasses. They all 

 three carried horns, and were therefore males, the 

 female prong-horned antelope being hornless. After 

 having satisfied their curiosity, which was not suffi- 

 cient to bring them any nearer to us, they turned 

 round and disappeared behind the ridge. 



M., having already shot prong-horned antelopes, 

 asked me to go after them, which I at once pro- 

 ceeded to do. I had observed that as they disap- 

 peared they were heading to the left, so I made a 

 longish detour and presently sighted them amongst 

 some very short sage brush about four hundred yards 

 from me. From here I crawled within two hundred 

 yards of them. This was a very disagreeable process, 



