178 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



as landmarks. One more look, to be quite sure of 

 the point to be gained, and we went down the steep. 

 Broken as the surface was, I could not but think how 

 admirably we both crept along. Not a stone rolled ; 

 at each step the heavy-nailed sole came upon the 

 ground like a paw of velvet ; neither of us made use 

 of his pole, lest it might clink against the rock and 

 cause a sound. Not once did we slip; and when 

 the ground was so uneven that we had to step lower 

 than usual, each steadied himself with his hand, and 

 then the descending foot was dropped gently to the 

 ground. A woman's step in a sick chamber is not 

 more lovingly gentle than was that of us two iron- 

 shod male creatures. 



We halted. Xavier made signs that he thought the 

 buck must be yonder. Here were the stones the water 

 had washed down, and there stood the tree. True, 

 the place appeared quite different now to what it did 

 from above, but still on looking round we felt sure 

 this was the spot. We moved towards the latschen, 

 and peered downwards into the space below, but no 

 buck was there : he must have gone away as we 

 were coming down. As a proof that we had not dis- 

 turbed him, but had done our work most cautiously, 

 two does were lying not far off, just below us on a 

 patch of green : had the buck been disturbed by us, 

 he would, in dashing off, surely have caused them to 

 move away too. 



" Well, Xavier, now for the clam ! How far may 

 it be from here?" 



