The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-11-01
rlsgging Antelope.

A hunter says, IN the fall Of 1881 1
was riding down the Yellowstone River
in company with my friends, Huffman
and Conley, on our return from a
expedition to the Big Horn
Mountains. While passing over piece
of high table-land overlooking a portion
of the valleys Of he Yellowstone River
and Big Porcupine Creek, we met
couple of hunters, who told us that
large herd of buffaloes were grazing on
the Big Porcupine about fifteen miles
from us; and knowing the antelope are
nearly always found hanging on 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 num-
ber Of small white specks on the dead
grass away up the Porcupine that
seemed to be moving. We rode toward
them at lively gait for perhaps a
mile, and stopped to look again. From
this point we could easily identify
them, although they still seemed to be
about the size of jack-rabbits. We
again put the spurs to our horses and
rode rapidly to within mile Of them,
when we picketed our animals in low
swale, took out our 'antelope fag"-a
piece of scarlet-colored calico about
half yard square-attached 1t to the
end Of my wiping stick and were ready
to interview the autelopes.
crawled to the top of a ridge within
tain view Of the game and planted the
flag. The breeze spread it out, kept 1t
dutterlng, and it soon attracted their
attention. This bit Of colored rag ex-
cited their curiosity to a degree that
rendered them restiye, anxious, uneasy
and they seemed at once to be seized
with an lnsatlble desire to find out
what it was. Hoffman went to the tor
of another ridge to my right and somt
distance in advance, and Conley
crawled into hollow on the left, sc
that we three formed half-clrcle, into
which we intended, IL possible, to de
coy the game.
When they first discovered our tial
they moved rapidly toward 1t, some
times breaking into trot. But wher
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 a few steps
then paused and looked back at the
to them, mysterious apparition. Blu
they could not resist its magic infu
ence. Again they turned and cam
towards us, stopped, and gazed curl
ously at it. The old buck that led th
herd stamped impatlently, as If al
noyed at his inability to solve the mys
terry. They walked cautiously towar
us again down an incline into a vale
which took them out Of sight of tn
flag.
This, of course, rendered them sti
more impatient, and when they reache
the top of the next ridge they wer
running. But as soon as the leade
caught sight of the flag again b
J stopped, as did the others In turn whe
they came in sight Of it. They wer
not more than hundred yards fror
me, and were still nearer to my friends
There were seven In the band--tw
bucks, three does, and two kids
J Their position was everything we coul
wish, and though we might possibl
: have brought them few yards nearel
there was possibility of their scentil
us even across the wind, which {
/ course, we had arranged to have in ou
favor, and 1 decided that rather tina
!, run the risk Of this and the conseqner
stampede, would open on them whei
they were. 1t had been arranged thf
l was to begin the entertainment, an
drawing fine bead on the white breai
of the old buck, 1 pulled. Hoffman
, and Conley's rifles paid their oompl
ments to the pretty visitors at almo
, the same instant, and for about thir
+ seconds thereafter we famed the
: about as vigorously as ever a herd WI
) famed under similar circumstance
r The air was full of leaden missiles, az
!, the dry dust raised under and arour
. the fleeing quarry. Clouds Of smol
8 hung over us, and the distant hill
a echoed the music Of our artillery uni
Q the last white rump disappear'
0 among the cottonwoods on the riv
9 bank. When the smoke of bait
: cleared away and we looked over Il
9 field, we found that we had not burn
o our powder in vain. Five Of the lit
D fellows, two bucks and three does, b,
9 fallen victims to their curiosity. It
a two fawns had, strangely enough, e
: capped, probably, because they, beil
= 80 much smaller than their paren
were less exposed.