Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1908-09-11

/ only bv frantic struggles and fOundering
tCe managed to get ouGr.
and |, after eating biscuit, lay on my
| face on the ground-there was no
shade of any sort near-and dOZed un-
til couple of hours rest and feed
had put the horse In good trim for the
afternoon ride. When ii came to
crossing over the dry creek on whose
bank we had rested, we almost went
down In quicksand and 1t was only
by frantic struggles and founderings
that we managed to get over
on account of these qulcksands and
mud-holes, crossing the creeks on the
prairie Is often very disagreeable work
Even when apparently perfectly dry
the bottom may have merely a thin
crust of hard mud and underneath a
fathomless bed of slime. II the grass
appears wet and with here and there a
few tussocks Of taller blades In 1t, 1t
Is well TO avoid II. Often man may
have to go along a creek nearly mile
before he can find safe crossing, or
else run the risk Of seeing his horse
mired hard and fast. When horse is
once In muG-hole it will perhaps so
exhaust itself by its first desperate
and fruitless struggle that it Is almost
impossible to get 1t out Its bride
and saddle have to be taken off: If
another horse is along the lariat is
drawn from the pommel of the latters
saddle to the neck of the one that Is In.
and it is hauled out by main force
Otherwise Il man may have to work
half day, fixing the horses legs in
the right position and then taking it by
the forelock and endeavoring to get it
to make a plunge; each plunge bring
ing it perhaps few inches nearer the
firm ground. QuicksandS are even
more dangerous than these mud-hOles.
as. If at all deep, "A creature that can
not get out Immediately is sure to be
speedily engulfed Many parts OF the
Little Missouri are impossible on ac-
count of these quicksands. Always in
crossing unknown ground that looks
dangerous II is best To feel your way
very cautiously along and. If possible,
to find out some cattle trail or even
game trail which can be followed.
For some time after leaving the
creek nothing was seen, until, ON COM
ing over the crest of the next great
divide, came In sight of band Of
six or eight prong-horn about quar-
ter Of mile of TO my right hand.
There was a slight breeze from the
southeast, which blow diagonally
across my path towards the anteopes.
The latter, after staring at me a min
ute, as | rode slowly on suddenly
started AT full speed to run directly
up wind, and therefore in direction
that would cut the line of my course
less than half Il mile ahead Of where
| was. Knowing that when antelope
begin running in straight line they
are very hard 10 turn aud seeing that
they would have to run longer dis
tance than my horse would to inter
cept them, | clapped spurs into Mani
ton, and the game old fellow, n very
deet runner stretched himself down
TO the ground and seemed to 20 almost
as fast as the quarry As l had ex.
peeted, the latter when they saw me
running, merely Strengthened them
selves out and went on, possibly even
faster than before without changing
the line OF their flight, keeping right
up wind Both horse and antelope
fairly hcw over the ground. their
courses being at an angle that would
certainly bring them together. Two
OF the antelope led, by some fifty
yards or So, the others, who were all
punched together, Nearer and nearer
We came, Manltou, in spite of carrying
myself and the pack behind the sad.