KREUTH. 109 



of a tree, anxiously listening for any sound. At last 

 there was a rustling, and Berger emerged from the 

 wood : he had seen nothing. It was too late in the day 

 to think of trying elsewhere ; we therefore at once set 

 off homewards. When we had proceeded some way 

 down the mountain, a bounding was heard among the 

 underwood, as of an animal in flight. We listened: 

 there were two. Berger ran forward, and saw a couple 

 of chamois making for the rocky pastures on the other 

 side of the Miesing, just below its summit, and where 

 no one could follow. 



" There the wall of rock is perpendicular," Berger 

 observed : " that is their usual retreat when pursued. 

 It would be useless to follow them, for they pass 

 along the narrow ledges, and wait in places where 

 there is no approaching them." 



" But how low down they were ! Who would have 

 thought of meeting them here?" 



"Ay, who indeed?" answered Berger. "I came 

 nearly as far as this when I went through the bushes ; 

 I thought it was far enough. Had I but gone a little 

 further, they would both have gone upwards, and have 

 come out, as I said, where you were standing. You 

 might then have brought down both." 



" If we had gone toward the Klause today, do you 

 think we should have seen anything?" I asked. 



" Yes," he replied, " for some capital places are 

 there. If we had seen no chamois we might still have 

 met with deer. The number of stags there formerly 

 was astonishing. Even now, after so many have been 



