The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-14
A PAIR OF PRONG BUCKS
BY rHronnnr roosrrr1-r.


SLIGHT nurrics OF snow. and tho co.'s 49,.
chilled us az It blow across tho endless s,o,,..
OF sad-colored prairie. Behind US doomed :,
tinel Butte, and all around the rolling SUIT, !.
was broken by chains " hils. by ratcLs. y,
bad lands. or by Isolated saddle. 49,
mounds. Tho ranch wagon yotei over N.
uneven sward and plunged in AMI our. a, 81.
dry beds OF the occasional wator codtacs ~.
we we're following no road. but mcrely s,,,s
ing northward across the prairic toward ,L.
| T. X. Ranch. We went Mt " good pace. for a..
afternoon was bleak. the wagon WAS lrb,.
loaded, and the Sheriff. who was s+rv ne -.
the nonce MS our tenmster and cook kcp, H..
two gaunt. wild-lookiug horses tto.ttnr s,e,J,
lily. Lambert AMI rode to one siua on on.
unkompt COW ponies. our rifles s,uag acro..
our saddle bows.
Our stock OF fresh meat was rct'ng NV "a
We we're anxious 10 shoot something. but a
the early hours OF the afternoon wa sa.y "a
| game. Small parties OF horned lark, "a,
along the ground ahead OF tho wagon. t,,t
terng paintivcy rs they rose and e,,r.
sional nocks OF longspurs few hthpr su
| thithcr; but OF larger life we saw nn..i.N
| save occas ional bands OF range horse, M,
| drought had been very severe. and we wer.
| far from the river. so that we saw no horned
! stock. Horses can travel much further TO va.
| ter than cattle ana when tho springs dry I'm
| tbey stay much farther out on tEo prairie
At last We did see a band OF four ante on.
| lying in tho middle OF u wido plain; Lut The,
| Raw us before We saw them. aud the groun
| was so barren of cover that IL was imrussIb.
| to get near them. Moreover. thcy were ya,,
| shy. and ran almost as soon as we got our,
| eyes on them. For an hour or two after thi,
we logged along without seeing anything
while tho gray clouds piled w in the west and
the afternoon began to darken; then Just A.
ter passing Saddle Butte. We struck a rough
prairie road. which we knew led TO the T. K
Ranch. n road very faint In places. while 10
others tho wheels Ind sunk deep IN tho,
ground and made long parallel ruts.
Almost INN edlately after striking this road
on topping n small rise. we discovered a youns
prong buck standing of "a couple OF hundred
yards to one side gazing at the wagon with
that absorbed curiosity which in this game ~
often conduers its extreme WEAKNESS and
timidity. to certain extent ofIsetting the ad.
vantage conferred upon 1t by its marvellous.
vision. The little antelope stood broldsfe
too gazing at us out OF its great bulgug eyes
the sha rply contrastcd browns ana whites VI
sspod On snp horses Snd me,
snapped, and the. little buck. wheeling
its rump all erect. as is always the case with
the prong horn when under the influence d
-
hasty running shot with no moro effect THAI
changing the canter into a break-ncrk .Ia op
%nS we On ran Te
pelt up the hill into slight valley ana then 70
standing. but this time farther on than be.
foro: and again our shots went wild.
However, the antelope changed It's racing
galiop to u canter while still IN sight gong
slower and slower. and. what was rather
curious it did not seem much frightened. W.
ant n - a.
shooting and wished to retrieve our conduct II
possible SO we ran back to the wagon. got our
tlnued his flight in u straight line, gradually
Stacking his pace. and u miles brisk galou
and merely walking The Wind was 6 bad f and
We decided TO sweep of and try to rircI.
round ahead OF him. Accordingly, we dropped
aud galloped hard until we came to the iOON
OF a series OF low bnttcs. whom we turned
that We were about across the antelope's lns
OF march, leaped from our horses. threw the
reins over their heads. and left them staining,
while We stole up the nearest rise; and when
close to the top took or our caps and pu shed
ourselves forward fiat on our faces, 10 pvep
saw the antelope at once now stopping 10
Craze. Drawing back, we ran along some III.
same rise. 1t was only about l25 yards OF.
and this time there was no excuse Tor my iai"
Ing nC. to get but fail Sid ana aHSS the Ot
first two shots were misses. but ] kent cor:
recting my aim and holding further IN front o'
as the antelope reached the edge OF the
broken country. In which he would have oete.
safe; and almost as pulled the trigger hai
the satisfaction OF seeing him pitch forward
and attertirning q complete somersauIt u"
antelope aid cost us good many cartridges
and though iuy last shot was well aimed there
was doubtless considerable chance in my ht.
at least one OF my previous misses. Neverthe-
less all old hunters know that there Is no other
are e expended Tor every head OF game bageed
and though our performance was not partcH'
larry creditabls. yet neither was II quite 80
bad as il sounds to the inexperienced man, or
{" the one who will not honestly admit 10 hn''
self Just how many cartridges each antelope
he has Ragged has cost him.
As we knelt down to butcher the Rnteops
the clouds broke and the rain foil Hastily We
took on the saddle and hams. and Pach!GG
wagon in the teeth OF the cold storm, When
We overlook II. after some sharp riding We
when the day was growing dusky. cauGh.
sight OF the gr9up, OF low ranch hHLluIngs
received with warm hospitality, as one alwAy.
is in a ranch countrY We dried our SteamloS
clothes inside the warm ranch house ana l nas
our blankets and tarpa ulans and slept soundlr
in the lee OF big haystack. The ranch nous.
Ranking hills were covered with stunted cedaI
while dwarf cottonwood and box alder grew
by the pools in the half dried creek bed.
Next morning We had risen by dawn; Tie
storm Was over. and it was clear and colt
Before sunrise we had started. We were only
some thirty miles from my ranch. ana !
directed the Sheriff howto 60 there. bI striSlnf
east until he came to tho main divide. an
then following that down till he got past
certain big plateau, when a turn to ne Tight
down any OF the coulies would bring him mo
the river bottom near the ranch house W
wished ourselves to ride or to one side ana w
70 pick up another antelope. However, lhs
Sheriff took the wrong turn after EettlnE y"
the divide. and struck the river bottom sohe
fifteen miles out OF his way. 20 that u WaS
good many hours after We reached the fah'"
before he did. .,,
When we lett tine wagon We gal!opel st'a ghs
across country. looking out from tNe az.
across the great rolling Landscape. ever lT'
tuTS standing clear through tne rosy AZ ~
fore We had gone two miles. and when lkes.a
had barely risen, Wesaw OF the ~ ne W."
three hundred yards ahead tho shAlI' III
hOuetted forms OF half q dozen Rute.ol- 80.
does and kids. They seemed 10 mae ua-'s
only i'm perfectly as we came NJ rom IN" va.
ley, and stood looki inc Rt ~ within "h-' ~, -,
hut always hate to Kill other = Ia" ,Ff.t
when Il can be avoided, itur goob coma :
WAS rewarded Tor hall . ml!o furiu"I an W
caught sight Of u splendid ola buee stan i..-,
little TO one side al ridge crest. II" POD -.
us, and We halted al once Then '.''T