SHOOTING ANTELOPES. 137 
antelopes on my nag’s back, where I lashed them fast with 
the lariat to the cantle of the saddle. Swinging myself into 
the pig-skin, congratulating myself on the success of my 
stalk, for camp I headed, and already had commenced in im- 
agination to enjoy a hearty meal on some of the tidbits. 
Humming possibly the old regimental march, and my 
thoughts wandering to far-off scenes, I was surprised, on 
issuing from a dip in the prairie, to see several antelopes 
feeding undisturbed about a hundred and fifty yards off. 
Throwing my head forward over the saddle-tree, in a mo- 
ment I was on my feet, and, hurriedly hobbling my beast, 
I made a cast to the right to obtain a better leeward posi- 
tion. Prairie-dog earths were numerous, and apparently. 
untenanted, or else the. whole population had turned in for 
their afternoon siesta. These irregularities of the surface. 
afforded an abundance of shelter. A few minutes’ crawl 
ing, and I was within easy range, when, springing to my 
feet, the game commenced their succession of buck-jumps, 
which they invariably practice before settling to their reg- 
ular stride. Pitching my gun to the shoulder, I drew sight 
upon the leader 3 over he went; while my second shot, fired 
too hurriedly, sent its bullet harmlessly ricochetting, its 
course being marked by a puff of dust where the missile 
bounded each time it hit the soil, The fall of the leader 
turned the remainder of the flock, and with the velocity of 
falcons they rushed past Broomstick; up went his tail and 
down went his head; half a dozen violent struggles, and 
the hobbling broke. For a moment he stood, then threw 
his mane recklessly about, turned round and gave his dead 
load a sniff, and breaking into a succession of buck-jumps, 
finishing’ with a shower of kicks, divested himself of his: 
burden, and, in spite of all I could shout, with the most per- 
fect disregard for consequences, started for home at a pace 
so unusual and corky that I vowed if ever I had leg over 
