ANTELOPE. 49 



times be brought within shooting distance by playing upon their 

 curiosity. The hunter approaches his game as closely as possible 

 without alarming it, and then lying flat on the ground elevates a 

 flag, handkerchief, arm or leg. This soon attracts the attention 

 of the animals which proceed toward him, not directly but in cir- 

 cles, and generally with many pauses and halts. Sometimes they 

 A'ill turn and run off" as if quite satisfied, but before they have gone 

 far, will circle round and advance again, approaching a little 

 nearer than before. This continues for some time, and with care, 

 the game may be brought within three or four hundred yards, but 

 rarely nearer. The Antelope ruts about the 1st of November, 

 and drops its young, in couplets, about the middle of May. 



We shall never forget our sensations upon shooting our first 

 antelope. It was six years ago (1877), south of Laramie, near 

 to North Park, Colorado. We saw what appeared to be a noble 

 buck, doe and fawn a thousand yards or more away; we crawled 

 up to within some six hundred yards, and taking deliberate aim 

 from the knee with our twelve ball Sharp's carbine, had the 

 satisfaction of seeing the largest of the group stagger and fall to 

 the ground. Imagine our chagrin and remorse, however, when - 

 upon mounting our broncho and riding quickly to the stricken 

 antelope, we found a doe in her death struggle, with two fawns 

 standing over her. Instead of running away at our approach, 

 the poor little things remained with their dying mother, and 

 cast such piteous looks at us as one could never forget. The 

 scene was one to move the hardest heart. For days and even 

 weeks after we were constantly surrounded by antelope, hut I 

 never could bring myself to shoot another, until one afternoon, 

 when we were in need of meat, we came upon drove after drove 

 of them near the Rabbiteer range. They would remain in their 

 reclining posture until we had driven almost upon them ; they 

 seemingly had never before seen a human being, and, like 

 calves in the barn-yard, they would not get out. of the way until 

 we had ridden right upon them. They would then stretch their 

 legs, walk off a little distance, and peer at us in the most in- 

 quisitive manner. It is a great pity that the necessary legisla- 

 tion cannot be had for conserving and perpetuating the antelope. 



