Sun River sun. [volume] (Sun River, Mont.) 1884-1885, 1884-10-30
Flagging Antelope.

Conlcy, on our return from a hunting
expedition to the Big Horn noun
tains. While passing over piece of
high table land overlooking portion
OF the valleys of the Yellowstone river
and Big Porcupinc creek, we met n
couple Of hunters, who told us that a
large herd of buffalos were grazing on
the Big Porcupine Greek, about fif-
teen miles from us; and knowing that
antelope are nearly alwas found hang
ing Oh the outskirts of every herd Of
buffaloes, we at once began to scan
the country with our glasses In search
OF them. We were soon rewarded by
seeing number of small white spccks
that seemed to be moving Oh the dead
grass away up the Porcupinc. We
rode toward them at lively gait for
perhaps n mile, and stopped to look
again. From this point we could
easily identify them, although they
still seemed to be ahoat the size OF
jack-rabbits. We again put spurs to
our horses and rode rapidly to within
mile of them, when We pickcted our
animals in Il low swale, took out our
antelope flag"---a piece of scarlet
colorcd calico about half n ward
square attached it to the end Of my
wiping stick and were ready to inter
view the antelopes.
l crawled to the top Of Il ridge
within plain view Of the game and
planted the flag, The breeze spread
it out, kept it Auttering, and il soon
attracted their attention. This bit of
colored flag excited their curiosity to
u degree that rendered them restive,
anxious, uneasy, and they seemed ut
once to be siezed with an Unsuitable
desire to find out what it was. Huff
man went to the top Of another ridge
to the right and some distance in ad-
vance, and Comfy crawlcd into n hol-
low on the left, 50 that we three
formed half-circle, into which we
intended, If possible, to dccoy the
game.
When thoy first discovered our flag
they moved rapidly toward it, some
times breaking into trot. But when
they had covered about half the dis
tance between us and their starting
point they began to grow suspicious.
and stopped. They circled around,
turned back, and walked few steps,
then paused and. looked back at the,
to them, mysterious apparition. But
they could not resist its magic jnAu-
ence. Again they turned and came
toward us, stopped and gazed curl
ously ut it. The old buck that led
the herd stamped impatiently, as if
annoyed ut his inability to solve the
mystery. TLey walked cautiously to-
ward us again down an incline into Il
valley which took them out of sight
ot the flag.
This, Of course, rendered them more
impatient, and when they reached the
top Of the next ridge they were run
ming. But as soon as the leader
caught sight Of the flag again he stop
ped, as did the others in turn when
they came in sight Of it. They were
not more than one hundred yards,
from me, and were still nearer to my
friends. There were seen in the
band--two bucks, threc does, and two
kids. Their position was everything
we could wish, and though we might
possibly have brought them few
yards nearer, there was n possibility
of their scenting us even across the
the wind, which, OF course, We had
arranged to have in our favor. and l
decided that rather than run the risk
of this and the consequent stampede,
1 would open Oh them where they
were. 1t had been arranged that l
was to begin the entertainment, and
drawing fine bend on the breast of
the old buck, ] pulled. Hufrman's
and Conley's rifles paid their compli-
mcnts to the pretty visitors at almost
the same instant, and for about thirty
seconds thereafter we famed them
about rs vigorously rs ever herd was
famed under similar circumstances.
The air was full of leadcn missiles,
and the dry dust raised under and
around the fleeing quarry. Clouds OF
smoke hung over us, and the distant
hills echoed the music of our artillery
until the last white rump disappeared
among the cottonwoods on the river
bank. When the smoke of the battle
cleared away and we looked over the
field we found that We had not burned
our powder in vain. Five of the lit
til fellows, two bucks and three does,
had fallen victims to their curiosity
The two fawns had, strangely enough,
escaped, probably because they, be-