re wiped out, and
thoroughly cleaned--lock, stock, and barrel. The horses, too, had been
washed by the spring; and Jeanette's shanks had received a fresh "rub"
with bear's grease, so that if ever that celebrated article brought out
hair upon anything, it was likely to do so for her.

I say, all their little matters having been thus attended to, the young
hunters were sitting upon three large stones near the spring, talking
over their past adventures and their future prospects. Of course, the
buffalo was the principal theme, as that was the object of their
expedition. They did not fail to think of their good old father; and
they congratulated themselves upon the pleasure he would have in
listening to the story of their adventures when they should get back to
tell it. Hugot, too, came in for a share of their thoughts; and
Francois laughed over the remembrance of the tricks he had from time to
time played upon the little corporal.

While thus enjoying themselves, the eyes of all were attracted to some
distant objects upon the prairie.

"Ho!" exclaimed Francois, "what a string of wolves!"

Wolves were no unusual sight, and even at that moment several were
sitting upon the prairie, not more than two hundred yards from the camp.
They were those that had followed the party on their march, having kept
along with it for days.

"The animals we see, yonder, are not wolves," joyfully added Basil.
"They are better than that, I fancy--they are deer!"

"No, brother," rejoined Lucien, "they are antelopes."

This announcement caused both Basil and Francois to spring to their
guns. Basil was particularly anxious to bring down an antelope, for he
had never killed one. In fact, he had never seen one, as this animal is
not met with near the Mississippi. Strange to say, its favourite range
is the arid deserts that lie near the foots of the Rocky Mountains,
where there is but little grass, and less water. In some of these it is
the only ruminating animal, of any considerable size, to be met with.
It is often found so far from water, that some naturalists have asserted
it can live without this necessary element. They forget that what to
them appears _far from water_, is to the antelope but a run of a few
minutes, or rather I should say, a flight--for its bounding speed
resembles more the flight of a bird than the gallop of a four-footed
creature.

Antelopes differ but little from deer. The latter want the
gall-bladder, whic