THE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS 



39 



filled with fallen timber and bushes innumerable; but 

 Alexis proved to be an excellent driver, and the mule the 

 most active and the strongest I ever saw. We jogged on 

 through thick and thin for about two miles, when we 

 reached a prairie covered with large bushes of Artemisia 

 (called here " Herbe Sainte "), and presently, cutting down 

 a slope, came to where lay our Antelope, a young male, 

 and the skin of the Deer, while its carcass hung on a tree. 

 These were placed in the cart, and we proceeded across 

 the prairie for the other Antelope, which had been tied 

 by the horns to a large bush of Artemisia, being alive 

 when Alexis left it; but it was now dead and stiff. I 

 looked at its eyes at once. This was a fine old male with 

 its coat half shed. I was sorry enough it was dead. We 

 placed it by its relation in the cart, jumped in, and off 

 we went at a good round trot, not returning to the road, 

 but across the prairie and immediately under the clay 

 hills where the Antelope go after they have fed in the 

 prairie below from early dawn until about eight o'clock; 

 there are of course exceptions to the contrary. Part of 

 the way we travelled between ponds made by the melting 

 of the snows, and having on them a few Ducks and a 

 Black Tern, all of which no doubt breed here. After we 

 had passed the last pond, we saw three Antelopes several 

 hundred yards to the lee of us; the moment they per- 

 ceived us Alexis said they would be off; and so they were, 

 scampering towards the hills until out of sight. We now 

 entered the woods, and almost immediately Harris saw 

 the head of a Deer about fifty yards distant. Alexis, who 

 had only a rifle, would have shot him from the cart, had 

 the mule stood still; but as this was not the case, Alexis 

 jumped down, took a long, deliberate aim, the gun went 

 off, and the Deer fell dead in its tracks. It proved to be 

 a doe with very large milk-bags, and doubtless her fawn 

 or fawns were in the vicinity; but Alexis could not find 

 them in the dense bush. He and Harris dragged her to the 



