KREUTH. 107 



aspect. Our view here extended over fields of snow, 

 stretching along the horizon into endless distance 

 one vast range of desert and of frost. 



As nothing was to be seen we descended, intending 

 to go toward the Kaiser Klause, where we confidently 

 expected to find game. Passing at the foot of the 

 rocks where the day before my chamois had dropped, 

 Berger went to fetch his knife, which he had forgotten, 

 while I kept on to the left. Here the whole declivity, 

 which was long and steep, was covered with large 

 blocks of stone, lying in all positions, some firmly 

 wedged, and others so loose that without the greatest 

 care your foot slipped down between them ; nothing 

 more easy than to break an ankle in such a place ! 

 After crossing this sea of stone for nearly three- 

 quarters of an hour, fog and mist came drifting to- 

 wards me, followed by a thick rain, while the wind 

 increased at every moment ; and by the time I was 

 nearly at the end of my stony passage, it came blow- 

 ing furiously over the ridge in front. The rain too 

 now poured down in torrents, the wind was bitingly 

 cold, and in a few minutes I was wet to the skin. 

 With such weather all stalking was at an end ; so I 

 began to look about for Berger, whom I last saw far 

 off combating with the blast and with the difficulties 

 of his position. I made a sign to return ; and when 

 we got lower down, the wind, coming up from the 

 other side, rushed by over our heads without much 



inconveniencing us. 



" I looked well at the place you fired from y ester- 



