62 ANTELOPES AND DEER. 



CHAPTER VII. 



Antelope and deer — witchita mountains in sight — reach buffalo creek— 

 yalley of otter creek salubrity of climate deer bleat horse 



FLIES SCURVEY WITCHITA MOUNTAINS PASS THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS— tSUF- 



FALO SEEN. 



July 8. — Our train was again in motion at 2 o'clock this morning, 

 and our road led us over very elevated table lands, near the dividing 

 ridge of the two branches of the river, where the country is totally 

 destitute of wood or water, and altogether devoid of interest until 

 reaching this place, where we find a few small ponds of wretched water 

 and a clump of trees. 



In addition to four deer and two antelopes that have been killed by 

 our party to-day, our greyhounds have contributed another deer to our 

 larder. 



We have had several good opportunities since we have been upon 

 the plains of witnessing the relative speed of the different animals found 

 here, and our observations have confirmed the opinion I have before 

 advanced. For example, the greyhounds have, upon several different 

 occasions, run down and captured the deer and the prairie rabbits, which 

 are also considered very fleet ; but although they have had very many 

 races with the antelope under favorable circumstances, yet they have 

 never, in one instance, been able to overtake them ; on the contrary, the 

 longer the chase has continued, the greater has been the distance be- 

 tween them. The Cervus Virginianus (our red deer) has generally been 

 considered the fleetest animal upon the continent after the horse, but 

 the Antilocapra Americana, or prong-horned antelope of the plains, is 

 very much swifter. 



One of our hunters, who has been in advance of our camp, says he 

 obtained a distant view of Witchita mountains, and that he has also 

 discovered several telegraphic smokes in a northeasterly direction. 



July 9. — Getting under way at 2 o'clock this morning, we journeyed 

 over the elevated prairie in a northeast course towards the dividing 

 ridge, and on coming upon the crest of this elevation, some of the most 

 lofty peaks at the western extremity of the Witchita chain of mountains 

 showed themselves in the distance, like smoky clouds against the back- 

 ground of the murky sky near the horizon. Crossing over the ridge, 

 we made for the head of a creek, where we expected to find good water, 

 but upon reaching it we found the gypsum rocks, and, as usual, the 



