ch the
hunting-trappers, in their unromantic phraseology, have given the name
of "goats" to these most graceful animals.

All these peculiarities our young hunters observed as the herd
approached. They had placed themselves behind some willow-bushes, so as
not to be seen by the latter. They observed, too, that there was but
one of them with horns, and that was the foremost, or leader. All the
rest were does or young ones. The antelopes, as they came on, did not
appear to regard the horses, that were browsing out upon the plain,
though not directly in their way. They took the latter, no doubt, for
mustangs--who are not their enemies in any sense--and, therefore, did
not fear them.

They arrived at length close to the spring rivulet, where it ran out
upon the prairie. They did not approach it to drink. They were
evidently advancing towards the spring itself, perhaps with the
intention of getting a cooler and more refreshing draught from the
fountain-head. The young hunters lay concealed among the willows--each
with his gun ready in his hand--determined to fire as soon as the
unsuspecting creatures should come within range.

They had got nearly so--within two hundred yards, or less--when all at
once the leader was seen to swerve suddenly to the right, and head away
from the water! What could this movement mean? On looking in the new
direction, several hairy objects were perceived upon the ground. They
were odd-looking objects, of a reddish-brown colour, and might have
passed for a number of foxes lying asleep. But they were not foxes.
They were wolves--_prairie-wolves_--a sort of animals more cunning even
than foxes themselves. They were not asleep neither, though they
pretended to be. They were wide awake, as they lay squatted closely
upon the grass, with their heads so completely hidden behind their bushy
tails, that it would have been impossible to have told what they were,
had not the boys known that they were the same wolves they had noticed
but the moment before. There were about half-a-dozen of them in all,
lying in a line; but so close were they, that their bodies touched one
another, and at first sight appeared as one object, or a string of
objects connected together. They lay perfectly still and motionless.
It was this group that had attracted the leader of the antelope herd,
and was drawing him out of his course.

Curious to witness the _denouement_, our hunters continued to lie quiet
in the