60 THE ANTELOPE OF AMERICA. 



as to require the extremest care to prevent his becoming alarmed 

 in that way. 



Formerly the Indians were aware of the fact that our antelope 

 will not leap over even moderate obstructions, and took advan- 

 tage of it, as was shown under another head. Even small prai- 

 ries, nearly surrounded by woods, with but a narrow door to the 

 open country, have become slaughter-pens for the timid antelope, 

 when they have been bordered by dense under-brush. Their only 

 thought seems to be to escape by the same opening they came in 

 at. If prevented in this they seem to have no other resource. 

 In their fright their wits seem to forsake them, and they become 

 confused and distracted. 



As illustrating this characteristic of the animal, I will quote 

 from " Adventures of James C. Adams " (pp. 46, 47). With 

 several men he had surrounded a drove of about fifty antelopes 

 in an open prairie of high grass, when he says : " And upon 

 closing in, the animals, seeing too late that they were surrounded, 

 became bewildered, and, huddling together, wheeled and tramped 

 around in utter amazement, apparentlj^ not knowing what to do 

 or where to go. 



" In the mean while, taking care to keep our bodies concealed 

 in the long grass, we had continued to approach, and being now 

 within sixty yards of the panic-stricken animals, I rose upon my 

 feet, took deliberate aim, and fired into their midst. Sykesey and 

 Tuolumne followed the example, and the Indians discharged 

 their arrows. I reloaded as quickly as possible and fired a sec- 

 ond shot, then, dropping the rifle, pulled my revolver in my right 

 and my bowie-knife in my left hand, and rushed into the thick 

 of the herd, which continued wheeling and tramping around in 

 a circle, seeing themselves surrounded on all sides, and too much 

 alarmed to fly. At the same time my comrades rushed forward, 

 and we were soon all mixed up together, myself, the Indians, 

 and the antelopes. Having discharged the shots of my pistol I 

 began plying my knife, and as the Indians used theirs we 

 wounded several that escaped our fire-arms. In the midst of the 

 excitement a buck broke away from the herd and was immedi- 

 ately followed by all that were able to get away, some dragging 

 lamed limbs after them. As, however, six dead and five wounded 

 lay before us, there was no use pursuing the flying band, and 

 they were allowed to escape, although we might easily have pro- 

 cured a dozen more." 



As we shall hereafter see, this description answers almost ex- 



