THE RISS. 155 



disturb the game and cause them to hold away for 

 ground more within reach of the approaching opera- 

 tions. This is not a task soon done, or easy of accom- 

 plishment : from one mountain to another though 

 when viewed from below they do not seem far apart 

 is an intervening space which it may take a good half 

 day to get over. 



On such occasions the foresters do not go down 

 into the valley at nightfall, but pass several days and 

 nights on the mountains. They must be on the watch 

 too for poachers, and see that none are about, scaring 

 the chamois and sending them scampering away from 

 their accustomed places ; for when disturbed the game 

 is off at once, and does not return again for several 

 days. 



At Tegernsee an anticipated day's sport was frus- 

 trated in this manner. I was to have gone out on 

 the Peissenberg, where there was every chance of 

 being able to get a shot, when the foresters came in 

 with the intelligence that poachers had been there : 

 reports of their rifles had been heard in that direc- 

 tion, and it was vain therefore for me to think of 

 stalking with any prospect of success. Once before, 

 when the King had intended to shoot there, the same 

 thing occurred. The head-forester had sent some of 

 the under-gamekeepers to watch on the mountain, 

 with orders to remain out tiU the appointed day: on 

 account of the lawless state of the country at that 

 time (1849), he sent a gendarme to accompany them, 

 thinking that the presence of a police-officer would 



