The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-03-12
A Fix I'm Quicksand.
A THRILLING STORY.

n FlX lh VulCkSslnO.
a THRILLING STORY.
We entered the country of the
Artcmcsia, and with the exception
Of snakes, and occasional sage cock
-as rancid as the berry upon which
he feeds not an animal was to be
seen.
We had encountered the last buf.
falo, or old bull, three days before.
Him we had killed, but the meat was
tough and stringy, and, taking out
the tongue and hump ribs, we had
left the remainder of his carcass to
the wolves. We began to repent of
our generosity as we rode further in
to the desert. We were already on
half rations Of the 'jcrked,' and, as
the hunters remarked, dried chaw-
ms it was. We might, ere long, be
glad Of steak from the same old
bull. We shall see.
AS We rode along, trcading our
way through the wormwood bushes,
an antelope sprang in our path
Half a dozen rifles were raised, but
before 'bcad'could be drawn, the
sly animal was far beyond range
dushing tho white leaves from his
shining flank. The rifles came back
to their rest across the pommcl Of the
saddle, while their owners, with looks
Of disappointment, might be heard
apostronhisins the goat in not very
respectable terms.
About mile furthcrs on, and at
some distance to the sigik thought
I observed pronged head disappear.
ing behind swell Of the prairie. =
My companions were sceptical, and
wheeling out of tho train, / started
alone. My horse was fresh aud vii,
ling, and whether successful or not,
l knew that I could easily ovcrtakc
them by camping time.
struck directly towards the spot
where had seen the object 1t ap.
pearcd to be only a half a mile from
where I had left the trail. l found
it nearer a milc-an illusion which
is very common in the chrystal and
cloudlcss atmosphere Of those clcva.
ted regions.
A curiously formed ridge travcrs-
cd the plain from east to west. \
thickct Of cacti covered part Of its
summit; this thickct was the original
point Of my destination. Dislnount.
ing, l led my horse slowly up the
slope, and, reaching the cacti, fas
tened the lariat to a branch. l then
crawlcd cautiously through the splky
ovals towards the point where l cx.
pcctcd to find the game. TO my Joy,
not one antelope, but brace of these
beautiful animals, were quietly graz.
ing bcyond-but, alas, too far beyond
for the carry of my rifle. They
were full three hundred yards dis.
tant, upon smooth. grassy slope,
without even sage bush to serve
me as a cover. What was to be
done?
lay for several minutes thinking
over the different tricks known in
hunter craft 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 nccks, and
struck the sward with their hoofs,
looking wildly around. | have no
alternative. shall steal back to my
horse, take the red 'makinaw' from
my saddle, and display it over the
'nopals.'
| had come to this conclusion,
when all at once my eye rested upon
clay covered line in the prairie,
about hundred yards beyond the
point where the animals were feeding.
1t was evidently a break in the sur
face of the plain--a buffalo road, per
haps the bed of an arroyo. In either
case, the very shelter wanted, and
the game was approaching it step by
step as they fed. The question now
was, could | reach this hollow in
time; and giving up the plan Of
spreading my blanket, resolved to
make the attempt. Creeping back
out Of this thickct, and leaving my
horse where l had tied him, l ran
alongside Of the ridge toward tho
point where | noticed it was dcprcss.
cd to the prairie level. On reaching
this point, to my surprise ! found
myself on the bank Of q broad arroyo,
whose waters ran over bed of sand