A WALK TO FISCHBACHAU. 51 



" Yes ; chamois are there, that 's certain ; and on the 

 Miesing is the best place/' he said, turning to me. 

 " We '11 go up the Steinberg, and then stalk up the 

 steep part near the latschen. I think we are pretty 

 sure of a shot, if only all has been quiet, and no 

 poachers have been there to disturb them." 



"Well, if the rain ceases and the weather clears, 

 we will start tomorrow early. When you are ready, 

 call me." 



At least twenty times that day I had been to the 

 window, peering, or rather trying to peer, through the 

 clouds of mist, to see if no blue sky were visible. 

 Sometimes the heads of the opposite mountains the 

 Klein Miesing, the Jager Kamm, and others would 

 show themselves just above the gloomy mantle whose 

 undulating folds floated around them; but then the 

 spirit of the storm would come sweeping on to recover 

 his supremacy, bringing up an array of dim clouds 

 from the chasms that divided the mountains, and soon 

 all was again enveloped in impenetrable gloom. It had 

 rained the whole of that day and the preceding night 

 in sullen perseverance, and there seemed no hope of 

 change ; when in the afternoon the wind gave sign of 

 his approach, for fragments of mist like flying banners 

 came hurrying past, and bearing down on the cohorts 

 of clouds that had, till now, in sturdy masses defied 

 the sun, tore great rents through them, and sent them 

 flying in all directions. How glad we were of his 

 victory, and how we rejoiced to see the scattered rem- 

 nants of that vast army of clouds trying in vain to 



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