"Look down on the hillside, just above that little alkali lake,"
said Hugh. "There's two antelope there--old does, I reckon. We won't
bother with them. Likely they'll get our wind after we've gone a
little further, and run up by us."
"Oh, yes, I see them now," said Jack. They crossed the next valley
and rode up over the ridge beyond, and as they went down that hill,
Hugh called out, "Here they come, sure enough;" and looking to his
right, Jack saw two antelope running towards them very fast. They ran
smoothly and evenly, and as easily and fast up hill as down, or on
the level. In a moment they were passing quite close in front of the
riders, and had run up the hill and disappeared over its crest.
"We've got to watch out now," said Hugh. "We're liable to run on an
antelope any minute. Don't ride up over these hills in a hurry, and
keep a good look-out."
The next hill they came to, Hugh checked his horse before he got to
the top, and looked carefully over the ground ahead. After doing
this, he lifted his bridle rein and let his horse take a few steps
forward, and then stopped again and looked. Then he went forward
again--quite to the top of the hill, and looked again. Nothing was
seen, and they went on down into the valley and across it. Jack
noticed that as he went up the hill old Baldy seemed to be looking
just as his rider was. His ears were pricked up; he moved slowly and
carefully and seemed to be expecting something all the time. Each
time they came to the crest of a hill the same thing was repeated,
but nothing was seen. At length, however, after one of the looks,
Hugh bent low over his horse's neck, and at the same time turned
him round and rode down the hill again. Jack, who had kept close to
Hugh's side, had seen nothing, for his head was a foot or two below
the old man's.
After they had got part way down the hill, Hugh spoke in a low tone
and said, "There's a couple of antelope on the side hill just above
here. They're lying down, and I guess we can get up within shot.
Throw down your rope and take your gun and come on."
In a moment Jack was off his horse, and had thrown down his bridle
rein and his rope. Then he pulled his rifle out of its case and went
to Hugh, who had taken his rifle from its case and stood waiting for
him. Jack was beginning to feel excited, and his heart was pounding
against his ribs, and as he ran up to Hugh, he was not looking where
he was going, and he caught his foot in a sage-bush, and would have
fallen flat if Hugh had not reached out his hand and caught him by
the shoulder.
"Steady, son: steady," said Hugh. "Don't be in such a rush. There's
plenty of time, and if you're going to do any hunting you mustn't go
ramming around this way. Go slow and easy. Those antelope ain't going
to run away unless we've scared 'em already, and if we've scared 'em,
they're out of shot by this time."
"Let's hurry, Hugh, and maybe we can get a shot at them."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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