64 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



along more rapidly. The sheltering latschen were 

 at length gained, and I flung myself down behind 

 them, quite out of breath with excitement and from 

 moving thus doubled up together. 



In this safe haven Berger soon joined me. " They 

 are at rest," he said. " Now all 's right ! we have them 

 now ! But how shall we get across ?" he asked, as he 

 looked around to reconnoitre our position. " Yonder 

 they'll see us ; we must pass over the ridge above, and 

 go round and see if there is a way." 



This we did, and, once on the other side, kept just 

 sufficiently low down to prevent our heads being seen 

 above the sky-line. But after advancing some hundred 

 yards, we came to a spot where the ridge swept sud- 

 denly downwards, forming a gap between us and the 

 chamois. To proceed without being seen was impos- 

 sible. On our right it was rather steep, but we were 

 obliged to descend a good way, and then the same 

 distance up again further on, in order to reach the 

 Roth Wand unobserved. 



" Here we are at last ! Are they still at rest, Ber- 

 ger? just look across through the branches of yonder 

 latschen above you." 



" Yes, they are still there ! Now then, we must 

 get to the pinnacle right over our heads, and then 

 along the ridge, and so have a shot at them from 

 above." 



The shoulder of the mountain where we stood was 

 steep enough certainly, but it still presented sufficient 

 inequalities to enable us to clamber up it. Elsewhere, 



