As winter wore on Bucky was the children’s constant outdoor companion. He went sleigh riding with them on the big hill south of the barn. He joined them for ice skating on the beaver ponds. By mid-January several ponds were frozen solid enough for good sliding. None of the children owned skates yet they loved sliding across the ice. Bucky stood along the edge, his nose down to sniff out the ice. Slowly, he put a tiny hoof on the ice, then both feet fell in. Gingerly he pulled his back feet forward, one at a time. Carefully he took a step, then two. He began to relax and tried to hurry toward Don in the middle. Suddenly, his feet went out from under him. He fell in a jumble of legs. The children ran toward him as he scrambled to get his feet back under him and fell again. Try as he would, he could not get his four feet under him in the middle of the ice pond. Finally, Don lifted him up in the middle and the children literally carried their pet off the ice. Skating clearly was not Bucky’s sport.
One day after school in late February, Don noticed Bucky doing something he’d never seen him do before. The little antelope was rubbing his head up and down on the stump by the back door so hard that when Don came outside, he didn’t notice the boys’ approach. Instead of coming instantly on the run, the little antelope kept right on rubbing his head. Don tried to stop him, but he pulled his head away and continued rubbing.
Don ran for his father. He was completely confused by this strange action. Father laughed when he came to check this new development.
“Rub his head between his ears. Can you feel anything?”
“I feel two bumps. Did something bite him?” asked the boy a little fearfully.
“No Son, he’s starting to grow horns; he’s growing up. He’s nearly a full-grown antelope now you know.”
“Do you think he’ll leave us soon?” Don asked.
“He’s been struggling between life with us and the call of the wild and free all winter.”
“I know,” replied the boy in a soft voice. “I’m not sure I want him to go.”
“None of us do, Son, but we must be ready to let him go. You need to make it easier for your sister too.”
“Shall I take his collar off now?”
“It would be a good idea, don’t you think? Tell the girls you want him to be free.”
Don put his arm around his pet’s neck. Together they ran across the yard, crawled under the fence behind the chicken house, and bounded across the sagebrush to a secret spot that Don had kept for himself. The boy and antelope sat down under the sagebrush. Don rubbed the antelope’s head for a long time. They seemed to communicate to each other in the silence. A big lone tear slid down Don’s cheek and splashed on the antelope’s new horn, as Don reached down and removed the collar from around Bucky’s neck. Bucky nuzzled Don’s neck with his nose. The two stayed in the little hideaway until it was nearly dark. Finally, they got up and raced each other across the sagebrush and under the fence.
Supper was waiting when Don came inside. He slid silently into his place at the table. Mother seemed to understand and didn’t make him go wash his hands. After Father had said the grace, Don announced.
“Bucky’s growing horns. I took his collar off.”
The remainder of the meal was eaten in near silence. Each member of the family seemed lost in thought. Even Loreen was not as noisy at her high chair.
Sandie finally said, “He’s going to be here a long time, I bet.”
Bucky’s new horns grew fast. They soon became the source of much annoyance to both Sandie and Teenie.
For Sandie, Bucky’s little game of bumping her over when she played in the squat position posed a double threat. Even though they were formed of tough fused hair and were very short, they seemed very hard and sharp to a little girl. She always got angry when he teased her this way. Now the teasing brought wails and tears as though she had been hurt. Bucky seemed totally confused by this reaction. He tried to make amends by licking her face. She couldn’t stay mad at him for long. Soon the little girl and antelope could be seen racing around the yard, but she ran away every time he put his head down.
Now when Bucky played his chase game with Teenie, she put up with it for a while, then she’d growl and bark at Bucky, coming at him with fierce anger. He surprised her by putting his head down and bumping her ever so lightly. With a yip of surprise, Teenie ran to the door of the house and scratched to be let in. It was clear Bucky planned to be King of the yard. And he was.
He then tried his new power on the chickens. They scattered and ran as he walked toward them with his head down.
The barnyard was his next testing ground. The pigs ignored him as usual and the cows gave him little reaction. The cat and her kittens ran as always. But the horses were another story. The surprised antelope jumped back and tried it again. With head down, he butted at the pony’s flank. This time Patches turned around and raised his back legs for a good kick. Bucky bounced away just in time to avoid a sharp pony hoof.
“That antelope had better be careful where he puts those horns,” commented Father.
Fireside Stories 