172 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



other side, and so advanced, just keeping our heads 

 below the sky-line. To do this is often not easy ; for 

 on the face of a mountain the northern and southern 

 sides are not only quite different, but the change 

 begins from the very crest ; on one side the surface 

 being smooth and grassy, and on the other an abrupt 

 and precipitous descent, with a ledge perhaps so narrow 

 as scarcely to afford a footing. This ledge too is not 

 flat, but steeply sloping ; and if snow be lying on it, 

 the difficulty and danger are pretty nearly on a par. 



On we went, hardly daring to raise our heads, lest 

 the chamois, which we knew must now be near, should 

 see and be startled by our forms. Suddenly Xavier, 

 who was a step or two in advance, dropped to the 

 earth : I knew what that meant, quite as well as when, 

 a second afterwards, he said, " There they are !" point- 

 ing to a deep rent or gash in the mountain's side. This 

 yawning chasm, or clam, as such are called*, began 

 just below the summit of the mountain, leaving the 

 ridge unscathed. In this clam three chamois were 

 feeding : they had not yet perceived us. I cocked 

 my rifle and stole forwards, while Xavier watched 

 behind. They were moving along one of those nar- 

 row ledges, on the face of the rock formed by the 

 projecting strata, and as I advanced some acute sense 

 told them danger was near, for they lifted their heads 

 and listened. One began to retreat ; I fired, and saw 

 the ball had told. The others sprang forward, but 

 a second shot brought another to a stand. Neither 



* The name of this one was the liothl Clam, on the Stahl Joch. 



