Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1850-12-07
A Fix In Quicksand.
From saibsa Enfth's "iHiae,tasp. beek fer
E;sI,j NJ E5,ss,ig "

alu al ucraslUlai gp-UUgk--fatlEiH Il
: the berry Upon which he feeds---ilol hi
! animal was to be seens
) We had encountered tile East buffalo
ali old bull, three days before. Hin
we Ind killed. but the ,neat was tough
and stringy, and taking out the tongue
and hump ribs, we bad left the relnuiiide
IT his huge carcass to the wolves. We
began To repent Of our generosity Ms VT
rode farther into the desert We were
already Oh half raiults Of tile .'lerked,
and, as the hun efs remarked, "dtpd
chawin4," it was We might ere lonr
Nous rey5oHs.
As we rode along, threading out way
through the Worlnwuod bttsiles All ante-
Iope sprang nj in our path. Half d dozen
rifles Stere raised but before Il "baad
could he drawn, the sly anilnnl was iaF
beyond range, dashing the white leates
from bis shining Hatiks. The rifles came
back to tlieir resi- across the rotntnel Of
| The saddle while their owners, with looks $
Of disappointment. might lie heard aposa
tropIiisig The goat i'll not very respect
| fill terms
About q mile further on, and at some
distance to the right. thought | uliserv-
ed n pronged head disappearing behind Il
swell Of the prairie. My companions
| were soepitaI aud wheeling ont the
train, started alone. N.Y. horse wins
fresh and willing, aud whether successful
or not klew that could easily over
take them by camping time.
| struck directly towards hs spot where
| hhd seen the object. 1tappeafed to be
only half mile from had left the trail.
| found 1t nearer miie---n toSllnon illu-
sion in the crystal aud cloud ess atmoss
phere Of these elevated regions.
A ruriously formed ridap--a roNteau
| the plain from east TO west. A tiiiGket
Of caeti covered part OF its summit this
| thicket was the point Of my destination.
Disluountiuu, led my horse slowly up
| the slope, and, on reaching tlH catti, fast
alled the lafiat to branch. then era vi
Ell cautiously through the spky ovais
toward the point where expected w find
The game. To my Joy, not one antelope
but brace Of these beautiful anilnals
were quietly grazing bpyond4bnt, alas
too far beyond for the curry Of my rife
They were full three hundred yards dis
tant, upon n smooth, grassy slope. with
out even n sage bush to serve me as n
cover What was to be done
| lay for several minutes thinking over
the different tricks known III hunter craft
for taking Tie Tie antelope. Should /
initiate their CALI Should | hoist the
hapkerchf' No, they were too SHY
knew this from the fact that, at short
intervals. they threw up their graceful
pecks. and struck the swnfd with their
hoof+, looking wildly around. have no
alternative ] shall steaI back to phy horse
take the red "uHrsinaw" oitpm my saddle.
sud disray il over the "lS,paIs'
had come IL tbs resolutions. when MI
at ONE my eye rested upon clay coIored
ine IN the prairie about hundred yards
beyond tie polut where the animals were |
teeding. II was evidently break in the
surface of the rIali-=a buffalo foaI OF
perhaps the bed Of All arroyo. In either
case, the very shelter wanted. aud the
game was approaching it step by step a.
they fed The question now was, oond
reach this hollow IN time. aud giving |
up the pan of spreading my blanket. |
resolved to make the attempt. Creeping |
back out of the thicket, and leaving |
my horse where | had tied him. | ran |
alongside of the ridge towards the point
where | noticed it was depressed to- the |
prairie level. On reaching this point |
to my surprise ! found myself on the bank |
Of n broad arroyo, whose waters ran slow.
'y over bed of sand aud gypsum The
taiks were low. not over three feet above
the surface, except where the ridge Inn
plguod upon the stream. Here there was
n high buH. and hurrylng down to its
base | entered the channel, aud com.
menced wadlng upward As had autlci-
pated ] no ~ reached bend, where the
stream after running parallel to the ridge.
struck upon a huge rock, and sw epng
round to the right, had acals,ned the bill |
Here ! stopped, aud locked cautiously
over the bank. The an'eopes had APP
proached within fifty yards nf the arroyo,
but still quietly cropping the grass. and
once more bending my back | proceeded
mp the stream. The bed OF tl,e8arroyo
was soft and yielding, and | was compelled
to lift my feet with caution, lest their
spIashlng might disturb The game. After
q weary drag Of several hundred yards !
came to I'll artenlSia ush, which grew
solitary upon the top Of the bank 81
must be high enon th,' thought |. ]
clutchel my rifle firmly, bringing it to the
level | then slowly raised myself an
looked through The leaves OF the artemlNa
! was in the right spot, and sighting the
heart Of the buck fred. lie Ieaped
three feet from the ground, and fell back
again n lfees lump.
| was about to rush forward and secure
my prize, when | observed the doe Gn-
stead Of bounding away, as 1expecteD
ruu up to her fallen partner, and press her
tapering nose to his body. She was not
more than twenty yards from me, and
could plainly see that her look was one Of
inquiry anu bcwildernent- All at once
she seemed to comprehend the fatal truth,
and throwing back head, commenced ut-
terng the most pteous cries, at The same
time running in circles around the dead
body of her mate.
] stood waverlng between two minds.
NV first intention was to load and kill the
leer, but her strange and p,ointve cries.
entered my heart, and completely disarn-
ng mesof all hostile feeling--nay, more,
began to fee, remorse for what | had
already done. Had dreampt of witnes-