The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-12-28
Fopm hs Dall,H hagaz,as,
ADVENTURE or A TRAVELLER.


ADYENTUREOF A TRAVELLER.
- We nUtoutcfcT TtG country OF ttc ire
misia aud with the exception Of snakes, aud
~ occasional uAgo-cock ck-ranccd ~ the berry
upon which he frcds-not an animal was to
be seen We had encountered the last bui.
ialo, an old bull, three days before Him w.
had killcd;but the meat was tough and stringy
and taking out the tongue and hump ribs, We
had len the remainder Of his huge carcass To
the wolves. We began to repent Of our
generosity a. We, rode further into the desert
We were already on halfratons Of thc"icrk-
cd" and ~ the hunters rcmarkcd,dry "chaw-
ins" il was, We might, ere long, be- glad of
steak from that same old bull.
AZ We rode along, threading our way
through the wormwood bushes, an antelope
spnng up in our path. lIalfa-dozcn rifles
were raised, hut before q bead" could be-
drawn, the shy animal was Tar beyond range,
dasl,ing the white leaves from his shining
nanks. The rifles came back 10 their rest a.
cross the pommcl of the saddles while their
owners, with looks Of disappointment, might
he heard Npostrophi-ing the goat" in not
very respectful torn,s
About mile further on, and at some dis
tancc To the right ! thought ! observed a
prongcd head disappearing behind swell Of
the prairie. My companions were sccptical;
aud wheeling out of the trail, started atone
My horse WIS fresh and willing, and whcth.
cr successful or not | knew that ! could ga
silly ovcrtakc them by camping time.
Istrurk directly toward the spot where
had seen the object II appeared to bc only
hafa mile from whore had len the trail
laiound II to bc nearer mile--a common H.
lu.ion IN the crystal aud cloudlcss atmosphere
OF these elevated regions.
Ncmiousiy formed fidgc-a coU',a" d,s
yroiries on a small scalc-traycfscd the plain
from east to west A thirkct orcacti covered
part Of It's summit; this thickct was the point
ofmy destination. Dismounting, led my
horse slowly up the slope, and ON reaching
the cact, fastened the lariat to a branch. |
thcnSTawlcd cautiously through the spiky
ovals towards the point where expected 70
find the game. To my joy, not one antelope
but brace or those beautiful animals were
quietly grazing bcyond-but alas too far
beyond for the carry of my rifle. They were
full three hundred yards distant, upon
smooth grassy slope, without even n sage
bush to serve me rs a cover. What was to
bc done?
lay for several minutes thinking over the
different tricks known In huntcr-crafl for
taking the antelope, Should initiate their
call Should hoist the handkerchief? No;
they were too shy knew this from the fact
that, at short intervals they threw up their
graceful urrkE and struck The sward win
their hoofs looking wildly arc..id. / have
no alternative. / sholl steal back 20 my horse
take the red "Mackinaw' from my saddle,
and disptRyit over the "nopals'
had come TO this resolution when all at
once my eye rested upon clay -oolorod line
in the prairie, about hundred yards beyond
the point whore the animals were feeding
IL was evidently break in the surface of the
plain--a buffalo road, or perhaps the bed of
an arroyo. In either case, the very shelter
wanted, and the game was >atsroaching il.
step by step, as they fed g;trr question was
now-could reach this hollow in time; and
giving up the plan of spreading my blanket,
! resolved TO make the attempt Creeping
back out of the thicket, and leaving my horse
Whete had tied him, ran along the side
of the ridge towards n point where had no.
. ucedit was depressed to the prairie 'levcl.-
ON reaching this point to my surprise |
found mysclfon the bank Of a broad arrovo.
whose waters, clear and shallow, ran slowly
over Il bed of sand and gypsum. The banks
were low, not,oyer three feet above the sur
face, except where the ridge impingcd upon
The, stream. Here there was high blufI,and
hurrying down to its base, I entered the chan
mel and commenced wading upward. As
had anticipated, soon reached bend, where
the stream. Alter running parallel to the
ridge, struck upon a huge retH, and sweep
ing round to the right, had cannoncd the hill
Here stopped, and looked cautiously over
, the bank, ihe antelopes had approached
within fifty yards of the arroyo, but they were
at,irast four hundred above my nosition.-
they were still qpietly cropping the grass;
and once more, bendingmy back proceeded
upstream. 1t was difficult wading The
bed OF the arroyo was soft and yielding, and
was compelled to lif my feet with caution