Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-07-07
CAPTURED ANTELOPE ALIVE
Tired II Out and Then Caught il Very
Easily.

Easily.
| An old timer in the San Luis Valley
Of Southern Colorado tells the follow
ing story Of the day, now long past,
when antelope grazed in great num-
bers in the beautiful natural meadows
along the Alamosa, Conejos and Rio
Grande.
A young school teacher named Paul
Brown came out from Ohio to spend
the summer at my ranch. He was
lover Of hunting, but had never had a
chance at any kind of big game. No
sooner did he learn that there were
antelope in our neighborhood than he
made up his mind to get one.
1 gave him an old buckskin broncho
cow pony, not much for looks, but with
an amazing amount OF wind. He could
gallop twelve hours with almost no
rest, and be none the worse for 1t the
next day. -2sstfs8
! As Brown rode along the Conejos
| river one morning he jumped buck
out Of the tall grass almost under his
horses nose. The antelope ran, and
Brown was so startled that he entirely
forgot his rifle. But the pony laid back
his ears and started in pursuit Of the
fleeing antelope. At the first jump, his
hind leg struck the end Of the rifle
barrel and knocked it out of the sad
die scabbard. Brown was too busy
keeping the antelope in sight to no.
tice its loss.
The antelope soon got out Of the tall
grass, and settled down to a steady
run on the open prairie, with the
plucky little cow pony about 100 yards
behind Brown then remembered that
he had a rifle, and reached down for
it. The gun was gone, and he had no
time to go back and hunt for it, so he
made up his mind to run the antelope
down and capture it alive.
The buck ran in great circle and
at the end Of an hour or little more.
had finished the first lap. The gap be-
tween himself and the pony was about
the same as at the start. Whenever
the antelope sprinted, the buckskin
was equal to the occasion, and held his
own. Both animals showed signs OF
weakening at the end Of the second
hour
Then Brown had a happy thought.
His saddle weighed about 40 pounds.
The pony would last longer If he could
get rid Of the saddle. So, leaning
down, Brown loosened the cinches.
When everything was loose he slipped
over the horn to the pony's shoulders
and pushed the saddle off behind him.
Relieved Of that weight the pony
began to gain slowly. and at the end
of another half hour was less than fift
yards behind. The antelope was pref
ty thoroughly exhausted, and the pony
was breathing hard, but at the end Of
five minutes was running neck and
neck with the antelope.
Brown then realized that he should
have kept his rope when he threw the
saddle away. He did not even have a
pocketknife. He did not know what
to do.
Then he had an inspiration. Pulling
off his coat and holding it under his
arm he climbed on the ponys shoul-
ders and made a flying leap on top OF
the antelope. By chance he landed
squarely astride the bucks back. The
antelope was pretty we'll worn out,
and with the additional weight of the
rider he tired rapidly. Brown then
threw his coat over the bucks head
and tied the sleeves together under his
throat. The blindfolded antelope step
ped into a hole and fell. Brown went
over the antelope's head and landed
uninjured just in front Of his horse,
which had come to standstill. Jump
ing up Brown unsnapped one of the
bride reins, and before the exhausted
buck could regain his feet the man
had him securely hog-tied.
Leaving the antelope tied and blind
folded Brown started home and reach
ed the ranch house just about dark.
He told me his experience, but he had
plenty of trouble making me believe
his story. The next morning, however,
| hitched a team to the wagon and
started out with him for the place
where he said he had left his game. |
had to believe his story when we
reached the place and found the ante
lope tied and blindfolded. We loaded
the buck into the wagon and, after
using up the remainder Of the day
finding Browns gun and saddle, drove
back to the ranch house.-Youth's
Companion.
81 Owing to the printers strike at