The Greeley tribune., 1910-06-16

bottoms not only to fatten their six
thousand ponies, but to hold their
yearly Qualifications, thousands OF
them, men, women and children. Out
on the high lands east of Fort Lup-
ton were plenty of antelope and the
| Indian hunters, mounted on their
swift ponies, would circle about a
vast area of country and gradually
closing in upon perhaps two hundred
antelope finally forcing them to
small area where they were shot
down mostly with arrows.
| Once the killing had been made
the hunters would stroll into camp
emptyhanded. it being disgraceful
| for a hunter to do what a sQuaw
could be made to do. Then out
would go bevy Of squaws and fetch
to camp the slaughtered animals.
The late Mrs. David Ewing of Fort
Lupton told the writer how she
bought from one of these Indian
hunters a fine fat antelope for cup
Of sugar. The Indian sat down and
Immediately ate all the sugar: but
when she offered him another cup OF
sugar to drcss the animal he rep
llied disgusted, "Squaw's work." and
refused: but he would go out and
fetch another antelope for another
cup.
1 The winter of 1912 was hard
season for the wild animals~of Col
orado The antelope were 80 abb
undant near Greeley that almost any
hour of the afternoons one could see
= lone horseman slowly making his
way to town. rifle in hand, dragging
an antelope behind the horse by a
lariat caught about the horn of the
saddle.
> Hundreds of them got inside the
. colony fence and did not seem able
! to get out. The whole country
north of the Poudre and between
Greeley and Fort Collins was alive
with antelope. Who shall tell the
. secret that impels. animals as vel
I as races OF men to suddenly start VI
and migrate? Look at the migrating
: birds possessed apparently with rea
!. son: the buffalo moving from plac,
to place; the sudden oncoming o
;: myriads of rats and squirrels. to sa.
)! nothing OF the devouring grass
= hopper: but perhaps strangest of al
: that flight to the mountains that win
= ter Of deep SHOWS, 1912 OF count
q less antelope.
!
that the pronghorn is essentially
e plains animal. Who ever heard O
% him among trees and rocks? The
what dim remembrance OF susie
q nance to be found in the yonde
mountains, a sub-conscious instinc
20 handed down from the fathers of al
e the antelopes: I'm the mountain
d there is safety for US" Here the
came by the thousand from the vas
a regions east Of Kersey. crossing th
e frozen South Platte. circling abor
% Greeley over the ground where til
v Normal school now stands, eve
es westward towards the 'delectabl
ie mountains, crossing the Poudre nes
TO WtndsOr, thousands Of them, 1
ne bsnds Of = dozen and sometimes 1
ne Mites. each band probably compose
OF OF an old dos and her progeny b,
(, all ever pointing westward. VIII
'ie could these plains deni1ens know
Dn the distant foothills! DiA tn,
~ think that those tree-fringed hill
ne were beckoning to them to come q
no BE- fed? It was . most curio
sight. The sturdy males would tai
or tho lead, plowing through the Do
re snow. the graceful necks and prom
OF ed horns just visible shove three fe
VI SuOW' Wu0u 0xo8u8to0 the pi
ps neef pathmaker would lean to o
tn side and then another male wou
or- take his place and push ON towar
the west. In . little while des
m we'll trodden path was made
'ut which came the weaker mothers a
lat their still weaker kids. It 10 nee
ks less to say that on the sunny sout
to ern slopes Of the mountains, gra
on covered, the invading army fou
ag food and safety.
ill In tho earl, days there were ma
em bands Of Wild horses but a 4
,b- hours ride from Greeley. Richs
rie and John Patterson and James XII
nd sey could tell OF their chase Of th,
tie wary creatures and the occasion
capture OF ono or more; but the m,
ap- who. with almost superhuman har
Of hood and insight and daring fount
'on Iway to. secure and break to the 1