Red Tailed Hawk. 183 



^i^rass, fine strips of bark, and a few feathers which were probably 

 shed by the bird. 



While I was putting the eggs in my collecting box, the parent 

 birds rose high in the air, drew their wings back, and darted at me 

 several times, once just missing my hat. 



A farmer had been waiting impatiently for more than a week 

 for the old bird to hatch the eggs, that he might kill the yoimg to- 

 gether witli the old ones, and take them away to the "Squire" and 

 get the 50 cents bounty, offered for each hawk and owl scalp. 

 (A poor law. — R. B. F.) 



Just imagine how ''sad and woe begone" he looked, when next 

 he climbed to the top of the high ledge of rocks where he could 

 see into the nest, to find that his intended victims had hatched (?) 

 and gone. /• VV. Jacobs. 



AN ANTELOPE CHASE. 



About the loth of June we left La Junta, Col., at 7 o'clock in 

 the morning and started northward. Crossing the Arkansas 

 River which runs at the base of this beautiful and thriving city, 

 we soon found ourselves on the elevated prairie lands. As the 

 object of our drive was to look at some government lands, it will 

 not be wholly inconsistent for me to say a few words about the 

 surrounding country. 



Lying north of La Junta, and just beyond the Arkansas River, 

 is some of the most beautiful land of Colorado, now open by the 

 government for settlement. This vast region, until recently, has 

 been used by ranchmen for pasture, throughout the entire year. 

 The prairie is level, with occassional undulations, and covered 

 with a thick growth of buffalo grass. It was here, upon this 

 grassy lawn, stretching away beyond the limit of vision, that our 

 chase occurred. 



My companion, Mr Seeley, of La Junta, Mr. Fetterman of Ohio, 

 Mr. Hughes of Kansas, and myself, were driving leisurely along 

 when suddenly our eyes were directed to an object some two hun- 

 dred yards distant. We advanced various opinions as to what it 

 was, and to settle the dispute, we pulled off from the trail, and 

 with increased speed, drove in the direction of the animal. As it 

 leaped off, we 5-aw it was an antelope, apparently of half growth. 

 Mr. Seeley being anxious for a chase, as well as the fun he could 

 have with us 'tenderfeet', seized the whip and urged the ponies at 

 full speed, after our frightened game. It would have been a very 

 difficult matter for him to have determined which was the most 

 frightened, the innocent antelope or his three companions. But I 

 think on that score we stood about '8 to 7' in favor of the antelope. 



To all our urgent appeals to be excused from further pursuit, 

 he only turned a deaf ear, as he urged on the ponies. Expecting 



