THE TYROLESE. 635 



the people. Every village has its " Scheiss-stiitte,'' 

 or shooting ground, where the peasants meet every 

 Sunday and fete day to contend for prizes with 

 each other, and every valley has its annual gather- 

 ing, when the best shots of each village contend 

 for the " championship." They rarely fire at 

 longer ranges than three hundred yards, and the 

 general distance seems to be about a hundred and 

 twenty. 



From the elevated position we had attained, 

 a very extensive horizon presented itself; and we 

 sat admiring the sublime scenery for more than 

 an hour, my companions indulging in a pipe, 

 whilst I swept the country with my field-glass, in 

 the hope of discovering chamois. It was, how- 

 ever, too late in the day, and none were to be 

 seen. So shouldering our rifles and baggage, we 

 made the best of our way down a rather steep 

 ridge, and after about four hours' smart walking, 

 arrived at a verdant-looking valley formed by 

 a hollow in the side of the mountain, where we 

 found a log-hut occupied by a couple of herds- 

 men, to whom Karl was well known. Our hosts 



