Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1908-09-03

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zsssAN the wide plains where
~ the prong buck dwell.I
q p ] the hunter must some
kzzcs,-<-u,sG times face thirst as well
R&EIiEJAH as fire and frost. Tho
e1SSSKY$E only time / ever really.
suffered from thirst watI
while hunting prong-buck.
1t was late in the summer. l was
with the ranch wagon on the way tGI
join roundup, and as we were ouiI
of meat l started for days hunt.
After two or three hours ride, uII
winding coulies, and through the
EzzT
on went with me, driven by an all
round plainsman, a man of iron nerves
and varied past. the sheriff of oul
county. He was an old friend OF
mine; at one time l had served as
deputy-sheriff for the northern end OF
the county. In the wagon we carried
our food and camp kit, and our three
rolls of bedding, each wrapped in q
thick, nearly waterproof canvas sheet
The load being light, the wagon was
drawn by but span of horses, a pail
of wild runaWays. tough, and good
travellers. Ny foreman and | rode
beside the wagon ON our wiry, un
kempt, unshod cattle-ponies. They car
ried us all day at Il rack, pace, single.
foot or slow lope, varied by rapid gal
nj, ,f4
er game; the trot, the favorite gaii
with eastern park riders, is disliked by
all peoples who have to do much of
their life-work in the saddle
The first days ride was not attrac
tive. The heat was intense and tho
dust sitting, as we had to drive somt
loose horses for the first few miles
and afterwards to ride up and down
the sandy river bed, where the cattle
had gathered, to look over some younc
steers we had put on the range the
preceding spring. When we did caml
it was by 4 pool of stagnant water, ir
a creek bottom, and the mosquitoes
We're torment Nevertheless, rs
evening fell. it was pleasant to climt
4 little knoll nearby and gaze at the
rows of strangely colored buttes. grass
clad, or Of bare earth and scoria. their
soft reds and puppies showing as
through haze. and their irregular out
lines gradually losing their sharpness
in the fading twilight.
My foreman and l usually rode faI
off TO one side of the wagon, looking
cut for antelope. OF these we at first
saw few, but they grew more plentiful
as we jOurmeyed onward approaching
big scantily wooded creek, where
had found the prong-horn abundant in
previous seasons. They We're very
wary and watchful whether going sin.
giy or in small parties and the lay of
the land made it exceedingly difficult
10 get within range. The last time |
had hunted in this ueighborhood was
in the fall, at the height Of the rutting
season. PrOng-bucks. even more than
other game, seem fairly maddened by
orotic excitement At the time of my
former hunt they were in ceaselesS
motion; each master buck being inces
sanity occupied in hcTding his harem
and lighting Would-be rivals, while sin
gle bucks chased single does as gray
hounds chase hares, or else, if no does
were in sight, from sheer excitement
ran to and fro as if crazy, racing at
full speed in one direction, then halt
ing, wheeling, and tearing back again
just as hard as they could go.
At this time. however the rut was
still some weeks off, and all the bucks
had TO do was TO feed and keep a look
out for enemies. Try my best, could
not get within less than four or five
hundred yards, and though l took a
number of shots Mt these, or even
longer distances, | missed. If a man
is out merely for days hunt, and has