270 SPORT AND TRAVEL 



much snow seemed to have lately fallen. Presently, 

 however, we left the mountains, and travelled hour 

 after hour over monotonous plains sparsely covered 

 with sage brush. Three days previously, Graham 

 informed me, these plains had been covered with 

 snow, but the wind had now swept them clean. As 

 we had to lead the pack horses, we progressed but 

 slowly ; but it being bright moonlight we rode on 

 till late at night, when reaching a small water-hole 

 in the bed of a sand river, we relieved the horses 

 of their burdens, and after having hobbled them 

 rolled ourselves in our blankets and went to sleep. 

 We got up again by moonlight at 4.30 A. M., intend- 

 ing to make an early start, but could not find the 

 horses, which proved to have wandered off a long 

 way, in spite of their having been hobbled. Finally 

 we got off at 9 A. M. and reached camp at the Sul- 

 phur Springs at 10 p. M. after a long day, although 

 we had not covered a great distance, as the horses 

 were tired and travelled very slowly. 



About midday we came across a herd of prong- 

 horned antelopes, with one good buck amongst them. 

 Whilst they were looking at the horses, I slipped 

 from my saddle and crawled to within one hundred 

 and fifty yards of part of the herd, but the buck was 

 more than one hundred yards farther away. I ought 

 to have fired at him then, but thinking he would 

 come nearer to me, I lay still. Suddenly, however, 

 he sprang away and went off at a gallop, without 



