Page:Rocky Mountain life.djvu/54

 upon his astonished vision, —he had been shooting at a bunch of dead grass Shouldering

his rifle he now rejoined the caravan, and was received by the wags who had witnessed his exploit, as follows:

"Ho, Jim! I say, Jim! Did you kill it?"

"Hang me, but it stood fire well, —didn't it?"

"Reckon you wanted a bigger charge."

"Strange you couldn't knock it cold at that distance!"

"May be your gun's out of order?"

"Yes. I'll bet a stewed crane of it. Have you noticed the "sights” lately?"

"Why, Jim. Really you've had bad luck! What, within sixty yards and not kill? I can beat that, all day!"

"Ha, ha, Jim! Shoot him grass!"

This rally was received, by our hero, in good part, who joined in the sport with as much gusto as though some one else were the victim.

The day, however, was not permitted to pass without another display of the prowess of "Big Jim."

A doe antelope, attracted by the strange appearance of the moving caravan, and impelled by its innate curiosity, had ventured to a tempting proximity. Mounted upon a fleet horse and supposing he could easily ride down the antelope, our hero started in pursuit.

Intently surveying the passing scene, the agile animal permitted him to advance within a few yards of her before she took the alarm. Now was a novel race. Away went antelope and away went Jim, in full chase. The former was soon far ahead, and stopped to gaze upon her pursuer.

Supposing she had become tired and was about to yield, our hero came dashing on, impetuously, under whip and spur, fully intent upon her capture. But, again, away went antelope, and away went Jim, whose steed, ambitious as its rider, and proud in its own fleetness, strained every nerve for the crisis. Even the antelope seemed to have found a champion to contest her unrivalled and universally acknowledged superiority. With distended mouth and protruding tongue, panting in the excitement of fear, and foaming in the vehemency of effort, she gained but slowly upon the bounding charger, as both swept over the prairie almost with speed of the storm-wind!

Now, again, she stops to gaze upon her pursuer. By this time all began to feel an interest in the result of the strange race. The word resounded:

"Go it, Jim! you'll beat the beater, yet!"

Once more, the antelope shoots from before both horse and rider, like the swift-winged arrow twanged from a giant's bow!

A broad ravine intercepting her course was cleared at a bound, and left the flying animal far upon the other side. At a bound the steed also cleared the barrier, but, in striking upon the opposite bank, it plunged headlong upon the yielding ground, tossing its rider far away in advance, all safely sprawling in a sand heap.

The luckless wight, on recovering, found his noble beast so sprained by the fall it could scarcely stand, and its every nerve vibrating with frightful tremors. Of course here was the finale of the race, as both returned to the caravan, —the recent rider, on foot, leading his jaded steed, —