5 I o Notes on Sport and Traevl x 



was no go ' ; there was not a living thing in sight, — 

 barrenness, barrenness, and desolation ! 



Our chance of chamois was utterly over for the day. 

 N'importe ; better luck to-morrow. Who can feel out 

 of spirits in that brisk mountain atmosphere ? There 

 is the highest peak of the Wildgrad Kogle right 

 before us, — and, hang him, we'll dine on his head ! 



The ridge on which we found ourselves was but 

 a few feet broad and about a hundred and fifty 

 feet above the snow on each side. It was composed 

 of innumerable, irregular, pillar-like masses of rock 

 of different heights and distances, impossible to 

 descend at the point where we found ourselves ; but 

 as it ran at the same general level, we fancied that 

 we could get on the sloping mass of snow which lay 

 on the side of the peak at some distance on. Jump- 

 ing from one small table of rock to another, — now 

 only saved from * immortal smash ' by Joseph's 

 strong arm, and now swaying doubtfully on a 

 plateau the size of a small dumb-waiter top, un- 

 certain whether we should be off or not, — we hopped 

 along, wishing we were kangaroos, till we found a 

 crevice which seemed practicable, and down which I 

 went with a run, or rather a slide, much quicker 

 than was agreeable, being only brought up by my 

 feet coming on Joseph's broad shoulders, he taking, 

 as I must confess he generally did, the first place, 

 whereby he always came in for a double allowance 

 of stones and gravel, but about which he seemed 

 utterly indifferent. 



