The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-07-09
TAKING AN ANTELOPE ALIVE.
Leap From Pony to Tired Animals
Back Brought it Down.

An old-timer in the San Luis Val
ley of Southern Colorado tells the
following story of the day, now long
past, when antelope grazed in great
numbers in the beautiful natural
meadows along the Alamosa, Cone
jos 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 neigh
Dor hood than he made up his mind
to get one.
I gave him an old buckskin bron-
cho COW pony, not much for looks,
but with an amazing amount of wind.
He could gallop II hours with almost
no rest, and be none the worse for it
the next day.
AS Brown rode along the Conejos
River one morning he jumped a buck
out of the tall grass almost under his
horses nose. The antelope ran, and
Brown was so startled that he entire
ly forgot his rife. But the pony laid
back his ears and started in pursuit
of the fleeing antelope. At the first
Jump his hind legs struck the end
of the rife barrel and knocked it out
of the saddle scabbard. Brown was
too busy keeping the antelope in sight
to notice it's loss.
The antelope soon got out Of the
tall grass, and settled down to
steady run on the open prairie, with
the plucky little COW pony about 100
yards behind. Brown then remem-
bered that he had rifle, and reached
down for it. The gun was gone, and
he had no time to 60 back and hunt
It so he made up his mind to run the
antelope down and capture it alive.
The buck ran in a great circle and
at the end of an hour or little more
had finished the first lap. The gap
between himself and the pony was
about the same as at the start. When
ever the antelope sprinted, the buck
skin 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 happy thought.
His saddle weighed about 40 pounds.
The pony would last longer if he
could get rid of the saddle. So, lean
ing down, Brown loosened the cinch-
es. When everything was loose he
slipped over the horn to the pony's
shoulders and pushed the saddle on
behind him.
(: Relieved of that weight the pony
began to gain slowly, and at the end
of another half hour was less than so
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. Pull
ing off his coat and holding it under
his arm he climbed on the pony's
shoulders and made flying leap on
ton of the antelope. BY chance ne
landed squarely astride the bucks
back. The antelope was pretty well
worn out, and with the additional
weight of the rider he tired rapidly.
Brown then threw his coat over the
buck's head and tied the sleeves to-
eether under his throat. The blind
folded antelope stepped into hole
and fell. Brown went over the ante
lope's head and landed uninjured just
in front of his horse, which had come
to a standstill. Jumping up Brown
unsnapped one of the bride relns'
and before the exhausted buck could
regain his feet the man had him Sc
curely hog-tied.
Leaving the antelope tied and blind
folded Brown started home, and
reached the ranch house just about
dark. He told me his experience
but he had plenty Of trouble making
me believe his story. The next morn
ing, however, 1 hitched team to the
wagon and started out with him 1or
his game. 1 Lad to believe his story
when we reached the place and found