206 CLAIV /.V UOX'S TAIL — HUNTING CHEETA. 



the New World. Since travel has become so fashion- 

 able, I may say universal, there are immense num- 

 bers of our countrymen who are familiar with the 

 sole representative of the antelope family found in 

 North America, viz., the prong-horned antelope 

 {Aiitelocapra Aviericaiia)^ still far from uncommon on 

 the vast plains and foot-hills to the eastward of the 

 Rocky Mountains. I have never known them to be 

 fairly run down by a dog, although on two separate 

 occasions I have seen greyhounds slipped at them 

 when the game had not a start of over fifty yards. 

 I will not say, however, that the canines were of the 

 best quality, still they were fairly good, but the 

 prong-horns made such fools of them that there and 

 then, and ever since, I have deemed this the swiftest 

 of all cloven-footed game. 



The Indians kill many of these interesting crea- 

 tures by running them into snowdrifts, or alluring 

 them within rifle range by displaying to their sight 

 some brilliant coloured rag, or other novelty, that 

 will excite their curiosity, for curiosity with these, 

 as with other beauties I wot of, often leads to 

 danger. 



During the years that I have spent upon the grand 

 prairies of the Far West, I never heard of an attempt 

 being made to gallop down this wondrously fleet 

 quarry — in fact, the person that proposed doing so 

 would be deemed mad ; yet I have known the spring 

 buck to be so taken. I did not see the performance, 

 but credible witnesses have asserted to its truth, 

 so I will give the name of the gentleman who has 

 done it, and the locality where the feat was accom- 

 plished, for it well deserves recording. In the 

 Eastern Province of Cape Colony is now situated a 

 flourishing town of the name of Craddock. In early 

 days the Rev. Mr. Armstrong was missionary there 

 and his son — one of the kindest and most hospitable 

 hosts I know of in this wide world — when a boy 



