496 Notes on Sp07't and Travel x 



them, the whole party retired to the wooden hut 

 with a mystic triangle in a circle over the door, to 

 eat, drink, and be merry ; and very merry we were, 

 albeit the only tipple strongly resembled very in- 

 different red ink, both in taste and colour. Talk of 

 the dura messoruni ilia ; what insides those fellows 

 must have had ! 



We were sitting listening to interminable stories 

 of Berg-geister, and Gemsen Konige, and rifle-practice 

 at French live targets, when two herd-lads came in 

 from some of the higher mountain -pastures, and 

 reported three chamois seen that morning low down 

 on the cliffs. Hereupon up rose a vast clatter 

 among the Jdgers as to the fortunate man who was 

 to go after them; for chamois-hunting, gentle reader, 

 requires rather less retinue, and greater quiet, than 

 pheasant -shooting in October. The lot fell upon 

 one Joseph something or another ; I never could 

 make out his surname, if he had one, — which I rather 

 doubt. He was a fine, handsome, jaunty fellow, 

 with nut-brown hair curling round his open fore- 

 head, and a moustache for which a guardsman would 

 have given his little finger. 



Now, as it fell out, I also got excited ; I, too, 

 thirsted after chamois' blood ; but how to get it ? 

 How could I, small five-foot-seven, and rather light 

 in the build, persuade that Hercules to let me 

 accompany him, unless he put me in his pocket, 

 which would have been derogatory ? It is true that 

 I being light myself, was perfectly convinced that 



