142 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



impossible to see anything. Presently however a sun- 

 beam fell here and there on the peaks of the distant 

 mountains ; and, as a sweet smiling face has the power 

 of dissipating tears or sulkiness, anon the whole snowy 

 range was glowing in the morning light. The fog 

 dispersed, the sky became blue, and all looked bright 

 and cheerful. We walked on, and came to the brow 

 of a hill from which we could overlook a large space, 

 partly bare and partly covered with low stunted shrubs. 

 It was a long while before we saw anything, but at 

 last Max perceived five chamois at a distance browsing 

 among the latschen. He pointed out to me the spot, 

 and exactly described where I was to look for them ; 

 but in spite of all his explanations and my endeavours 

 to find them I was unable to make out one of the dark 

 specks which he said were chamois. We now went 

 after them, keeping just below and on the opposite 

 side of the ridge, and advancing far beyond the place 

 where they stood, came round upon them in front. 

 On our way we fell in with a solitary chamois. 



"Is it one of them, think you?" I whispered to 

 Solacher. 



"I think not," he answered; and luckily we suc- 

 ceeded in passing without his disturbing the others. 

 There is nothing more vexatious, when stalking, than 

 to come thus suddenly upon some single animal, 

 causing it to start off and alarm the very buck or 

 red- deer that you might have got within reach of in a 

 moment or two more. But this time no harm was 

 done. Solacher went first, creeping along on tiptoe 



