Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1908-10-16

| shade Of any sort near-and dOzed I'm
til couple Of hours rest and feeG
had put the horse in good trim for the
afternoon ride. When 1t came tc
crossing over the dry creek on whose
bank We had rested. we almost went
down In auckland. and 1t was only
by frantic struggles and flouDderings
that we managed to get over.
On account Of these quicksands and
mud-holes, crossing the creeks ON the
prairie Is often very dlsagreeable work.
Even when apparently perfectly dry
the bottom may have merely a thin
crust Of hard mud and underneath a
fathomless bed of slime. If the grass
appears wet and with here and there a
few tussocks Of taller blades In it. it
Is well to avoid 1t. Often n man may
have to 60 along creek nearly a mile
before he can find safe crossing OF
else run the risk Of seeing his horse
mired hard and fast When horse is
once In q mud-hole 1t will perhaps SO
exhaust itself by its first desperate
and fruitless struggle that 1t is almost
impossible to get it out. Its bride
and saddle have to he taken off; If
another horse Is along the lnriat is
drawn from the pommcl of the latter's
saddle to the neck Of the one that Is in,
and It Is hauled OUT by main force.
Otherwise n man may have to work
half day, fixing the horses legs in
the right position and then taking 1t by
the forelock and endeavoring to get 1t
to make plunge; each plunge bring
ing 1t perhaps few inches nearer the
firm ground. Quicksands are even
more dangerous than these mud holes,
as, Il at all deep, 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 Il 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, l came In sight of band Of
six or eight prong-horn about quar-
ter of mile off to my right hand.
There was slight breeze from the
southeast, which blew diagonally
across my path towards the antelopes.
The latter, after staring at mo min
ute, as l 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 a mile ahead Of where
was. Knowing that when antelope
begin running in straight line they
are very hard to turn, and seeing that
they would have to run Il, longer dis
tance than my horse would to inter-
cept them, clapped spurs into Mani
tou, and the game old fellow, u very
fleet runner. stretched himself down
to the ground and seemed to 60 almost
as fast as the quarry. AS l had ex-
pected. 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 few 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, Manitou, In spite of carrying
myself and the pack behind the sad
die, gamely holding his own, while the
antelope, with eutstretched necks,
went at an even, regular gait that
offered strong contrast to the spring
ing bounds with which deer run. At
last the two leading animals crossed
the line Of my flight ahead of me;
when pulled short UP, ,leaped from
Manitou's back, and blazed into the
band as they went by not forty yards
of, aiming well ahead Of fine buck
who was on the side nearest me.
An antelope's gait is SO even that II
offers good running mark; and as the
smoke blew OFF / saw the buck roll
over like a rabbit, with both shoulders
broken / then emptied the Winchester
at the rest Of the band, breaking one
hind leg Of a young buck. Hastily cut
ting the: throat Of. and opening. the
dead buck, again mounted and start.
ed off after the wounded one. But,
though only on three legs, it went as.
tonishingly fast, having had good
start; and after following 1t over a
mile I gave up the pursuit, though !
had gained d good deal; for the heat
was very great. and did not deem II
well to tire the horse at the beginning
IT the trip. Returning to the carcass,
sut rn. the hams and strung them be,
aide the saddle; an antelope IS 80 spare
that there is very little more meat or
The body Fl y
This trick Of running In Il straight
line Is another OF the antelope's pecul
lar characteristics which frequently
lead It into danger ALTHOUGH with Sc
much sharper eyes than a deer, ante
/ lope are In many ways far stnpide,
! animals, more like sheep. and thes