APPROACHING THE MOUNTAINS. 21 



occupation, and encourage to acts of friendliness and 

 to good behaviour. Most children are delighted to be 

 employed, and the consciousness that they are of me 

 makes them quite elate : it is the germ of a feeling 

 which, if properly nurtured, ripens into self-respect. 



Having made my arrangements at the village inn 

 overlooking the lake, I went to the forester's house to 

 present my credentials. Ha ! there are the antlers 

 over the gable, denoting who is the inmate. Eight 

 ten -twelve ! a good stag must he have been that 

 once bore them. It always gives me pleasure to see 

 this trophy over the doorway or on the pointed roof, 

 for it is a sign of freemasonry, and tells me that, in 

 case of need, there is a comrade near. The letter 

 presented, and my story told, I heard exactly what I 

 was prepared for. " Things look very bad just now, 

 Sir, I fear there is not much to be done. The chamois 

 have no peace the peasants are always out in the 

 mountains, and what they do not shoot they scare 

 away. However, if I can oblige you, I shall be very 

 happy to do so. I '11 speak to the under-keeper, and 

 hear if he has seen any chamois lately." 



When he came up, "Well, Meier," inquired the 

 forester, "what chance is there, think you, of doing 

 something on the mountains ? All looks very bad, I 

 fear. Do you think you might get a shot or two ?" 



Meier's countenance wore no encouraging look, and 

 he only repeated what I had already heard, of the 

 scarcity of the chamois, and of the depredations the 

 poachers were constantly committing. "All about 



