UP THE MIESING. 63 



to the right of the geroll and the snow. Now it moves ! 

 There is another ! one, two, three !" 



" I see them now! Confound it, they see us! Let us 

 move on don't stop or look ; keep away from them, 

 up to the right." And up we went, keeping in a 

 contrary direction, and then stopped among some large 

 loose stones. 



" Look, Berger ! now you can see them well ; they 

 are crossing the snow, but not quickly. What ! don't 

 you see them ? Why now they are moving round the 

 wall of rock that goes down quite perpendicularly; 

 yet now I see but two, where can the third be ?" 



" Now I see them. Give me your glass : make haste 

 and reach those latschen yonder; when once among 

 them, all's right. I'll lie here and watch them, and 

 come after you directly. But for heaven's sake get 

 up the geroll quietly, for if a stone move they'll surely 

 hear it, though so far off; and be quick, and get among 

 the latschen." Giving him my telescope, which was 

 much the better one, I moved on over the slanting 

 mass of loose stones. 



With body bent as low as possible I tried to creep 

 noiselessly upwards. I dared not use my pole to 

 steady myself, for the weight would have forced it 

 among the loose rubble, and made as much or more 

 noise than my footsteps occasioned. Taking it in 

 my left hand, on which side also my rifle was slung, 

 I steadied myself with the right, and so at last reached 

 some larger fragments of stone, which were firmer to 

 the tread, and over which I could consequently get 



