UP THE MIESING. 73 



was gone, and that thus the knowledge might not die 

 with the old hunter; and how the son, a youth of 

 eighteen, had said there, were places to be passed that 

 made his flesh creep as he hung over them ; and how 

 he vowed at the time, as he stood amid the frightful 

 chasms and walls of ice, while his heart almost ceased 

 to beat for very horror, that if God should let him 

 reach the green valleys alive, no power on earth should 

 ever make him attempt the dreadful way again. And 

 as I related Berger stood before me with lips apart, and 

 his very eyes were listening, as he heard of those un- 

 visited regions which had for him such a mighty charm, 

 and inspired so inscrutable a longing. 



But it was time to look after our chamois. We 

 went forward to the place I had indicated as being 

 the one where we might best descend from the summit 

 of the mountain. The spot was steep enough, but 

 there were latschen growing about, and wherever they 

 are found anything may be undertaken. 



" Let us mark the place well where he is lying," 

 said Berger, " otherwise we shall not find him when 

 once down below : as we have no dog we must be care- 

 ful what we are about. Let me see ! he is just below 

 yonder high piece of rock with the tall latschen." 



"Look, Berger," I said; "from the top of the 

 Roth Wand a line of rough-pointed rocks stretch 

 downwards to the valley." 



" Well, I see them." 



" They form two ridges beside each other. Now, 

 over the second ridge the chamois is at rest. If 



