Volume XVI. 



RECREATION 



JUNE, J 902. 

 G. 0. SHIELDS (COQUINA), Editor and Manager 



Number 6. 



A FEATHERED HUNTER. 



L. B. STORER. 



One bright day in the winter of 

 1880 the foreman of a ranch in South- 

 western Nebraska sent me in search 

 of game to replenish our meat supply. 

 There were plenty of antelope in that 

 country then and no one had yet 

 thought to call a halt on the hunters 

 and ranchmen who were killing them 

 off. That was before the days of 

 Recreation and the L. A. S., and 

 so we had not learned to look ahead. 

 Now there is scarcely a wild antelope 

 in the whole State of Nebraska. We 

 supposed the game, would last as long 

 as we did, and neither thought nor 

 cared whether the next generation 

 should get sight of an antelope or not. 



An hour's tramp over the rolling 

 prairie brought me near the top of a 

 sharp ridge. Removing my hat, I 

 crept cautiously to the summit and 

 located a band of 8 antelope. They 

 were about half a mile away and were 

 feeding directly toward me. There 

 were a few inches of snow on the 

 ground. As the wind was favorable 

 and I was completely hidden from 

 their sight, I felt reasonably sure of 

 my game. They had not seen me and 

 knew nothing of the dangers that 

 lurked about them. 



The animals finally approached 

 within 300 yards of me when they 

 suddenly bunched and started on a 

 run in the direction whence they 

 had come. They ran some distance 

 before I discovered the cause of 

 the stampede. Then I saw, about 

 10 feet behind and about the same 

 distance above them, an eagle. For 

 half a mile he pursued them, main- 



taining his position perfectly, and I 

 could not see that he varied an inch. 

 The antelope were just touching the 

 high places and were getting far 

 away, but, watching them through 

 my field glass, I saw the eagle swoop. 

 One antelope left the band ; the great 

 bird followed him, and for a moment 

 both disappeared from sight. Then 

 they emerged from the swale and 

 started up the opposite ridge. The 

 eagle had gained on its prey until 

 now it was directly over the. poor 

 beast. The race was neck and neck, 

 with the odds all in favor of the cruel 

 bird. 



Finally he folded his wings and 

 dropped like a chunk of lead on the 

 antelope's neck. The. latter fell, ap- 

 parently stunned by the blow. Then 

 there was a struggle, during which 

 the terror stricken quarry several 

 times rose to his feet ; but the. bird's 

 talons were sunk deep in his neck and 

 the life blood was flowing rapidly. 

 The great bird pounded the antelope 

 with its mighty wings and apparently 

 blinded him. 



I ran toward them, hoping to get 

 a shot at the bird, but as I approached 

 he arose, soared away and lit on a 

 butte, a quarter of a mile distant. He 

 had not yet had his well earned din- 

 ner, so I took only the hind quarters 

 of the poor antelope and returned to 

 the ranch without firing a shot. 



We had all the meat we needed in 

 the shack for the following week, 

 and the feathered hunter had an 

 abundant feast left for himself and 

 several coyotes. 



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