Word traveled fast along the Rawhide. In spite of the fact there was no electricity or phone lines, neighbors began stopping by to see the new pet residing with the Scheer’s on the Snow Ranch.
Bucky’s natural instinct was to hide from people. To an antelope the smell of man meant danger. For a time, it was obvious that a war was going on inside the baby. That inborn fear did not allow him to be readily friendly to strangers. Yet, the love and trust he felt for Don, the boy who was raising him, caused confusion and curiosity about other humans.
As people came by to see Bucky, he hid himself in his little house or behind the boy. Don had to coax him with rolled oats to come out. If a person approached him suddenly, he’d bounce across the yard and out of sight. He was a neighborhood curiosity that was seen only at a distance by most people at first.
The talk about Bucky ranged from, delighted admiration that a boy so young could take on such a responsibility to, criticism that abandoned wild animals should not be allowed to live. Things like that are part of the balance of nature. “People shouldn’t fool with that balance” was a feeling shared by many ranchers.
The few boys growing up along the Rawhide now watched the bushes carefully in hope that they too might find an abandoned animal to claim as their own pet.
When children came to visit at the ranch, the first thing they wanted to do was see Bucky. No games could be played until acquaintances were made with the young antelope.
As the days passed, Bucky became a beloved part of the family. He showed very little interest in the pen, instead, he slept anywhere besides the little house built for him. He seemed to prefer curling up on the ground near the back door of the big house. This allowed him to be ready at all times to follow anyone who walked out that door.
He became a friend of all the horses and cows in the barn and corrals as he wandered around. He enjoyed following Father when he fed the animals and milked the cows. He stood close at hand during milking time waiting for a squirt of milk in his direction, just like the barn cats would do.
It took Teenie a little longer to accept the newcomer. At first, she growled whenever Bucky would attempt to get close to her. Teenie considered herself the family protector and this character was definitely intruding on her territory. Try as he might, Bucky always seemed to anger the little dog.
Teaching the dog to become friends with Bucky become a project for the girls. They sat down under the big tree in the yard with the dog on their laps. They urged Bucky to come close so they could pet both animals at the same time. Teenie bared her teeth and growled. Bucky backed away, but the girls would talk to both animals. Gradually, Teenie’s growls subsided and Bucky relaxed. This procedure went on several times a day for the first week or so.
Little by little, Teenie began to relax around the antelope. She seemed to accept the fact that Bucky was here to stay. She decided to co-exist with the baby, and stopped growling whenever Bucky came near. But she wasn’t about to make any effort to be friendly.
As Bucky felt more at home, he followed Teenie around when there were no people to follow. Bucky became very playful. While Teenie rested in the shade, the little antelope walked quietly up to the sleeping dog and poked her with his nose. Teenie jumped up and ran away to find a new spot. Bucky followed her, waited at a distance until Teenie was settled, then the process started all over. This game of hide and seek would go on until one of the children rescued the dog by calling the antelope to play.
Across the driveway, from the big white house was an open pasture with plenty of Wyoming sagebrush. This area was the children’s favorite playground. Don had cleared an area big enough for a ball diamond by digging out the sagebrush and cactus to make a trail from base to base. Here many ball games were played whenever company was over or Father took time out to play. Don could occasionally talk the girls into playing with him. These games usually ended with tears from one of the girls and Don stomping away muttering, “Dumb girls”. Since he was older, he always seemed to expect more of the girls than what they could do.
Teenie had been a part of these ball games for a long time. When a ball went flying through the air, she was right there to catch it. Often time, she would beat a player to the ball, pick it up, and take off with it. The hapless player would try to get it and the chase was on. Teenie would run around and round with the player chasing her. When she was tired of this, she would drop the ball at Don’s feet and the game could go on.
Bucky enjoyed these ball games just as much as Teenie. He had tried chasing the ball with Teenie, but as he raced to the ball and had the tip of his nose on it, he was greeted with a growling dog. So, he took part in the game by racing the runner around the bases. He stood behind the batter and when the ball was hit, he would try and beat the runner to first base. He would usually wait for a few seconds, and then he would bound off towards the second base. When the runner was put out, Bucky ran around the playing field at least once until the next batter was ready to go.
Any new visitor to the ranch was amazed to see an antelope playing with the children! Neighbor children and relatives always wanted to play ball at the Scheer house because it was so much fun to race an antelope or try to catch the ball before Teenie did. Heaven help the serious ballplayer! “Who can outrun a dog or an antelope?” When a runner fell down, he found himself looking straight into the face of a very sympathetic antelope.
Fireside Stories 