STORY OF THE ANTELOPE. 
No animal in a wild state appeals more strongly to my sympathy than 
the antelope. I have spent hours watching these timid, harmless, large-eyed 
creatures, of which there are about seventy different species. The love of 
the mother doe for her fawn is so- tender and gentle as to be almost human, 
and the absolute faith of the little creature in its mother is ideal. 
Although they are so timid and flee at the first approach of danger, there 
are times when certain species of antelope exhibit a high order of courage. 
I was once an eye witness to an act of bravery on the part of an antelope, 
a South African gemsbok, that was equal to that of any animal I know. We 
were stalking a lion in Cape Colony, when we saw the big beast suddenly 
crouch in a thicket of wait-a-bit thorns, his gaze intently fixed upon some 
object at right angles to where we were lying. Looking in the same direc¬ 
tion we saw a pair of gemsboks walking unsuspectingly toward the ambush. 
Just in front of the lion was a huge ant-hill, and toward it came the gems¬ 
boks, occasionally twitching their black tails; but that was to rid their flanks 
of flies and not from any fear of danger. 
As the antelopes drew near the ant-hill, the lion drew back his head until 
it was nearly concealed under his black, shaggy mane. They could not have 
possibly seen him where he lay, nor he them, and he now appeared to trust 
to his ears to inform him of their approach. 
He waited till both were opposite, and broadside toward him, at the 
distance of less than twenty paces from the hill. Then his tail was seen to 
vibrate with one or two quick jerks, his head shot suddenly forth, his body 
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