214 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



hut not far off, and who, it was known, used whenever 

 an opportunity offered to carry on poaching in a small 

 way. Well, as I said, Joseph, and Bauer, who was 

 with him you know Bauer, don't you ? a fine hand- 

 some young fellow as you would wish to see he and 

 Joseph ran forward, and when they came to the brow 

 of the hill they heard some one loading a rifle, ram- 

 ming the ball into the barrel, and a moment after saw 

 before them, about eighty or ninety yards off, the two 

 fellows standing over a roe they had shot. It was a 

 little green spot, with a tree or two on it, and not too 

 far, just a good shot from where Joseph stood. But 

 he did not want to fire at them ; he thought he would 

 take away their guns, and give the young fellows a 

 sound thrashing, and then send them about their bu- 

 siness. So, as I said, he did not fire, but went round, 

 to be able to get nearer before he -sprang forward to 

 lay hold of them ; for by going round the little mound 

 where they stood he could steal close up to them un- 

 perceived. They must have heard something how- 

 ever; for at the moment that Joseph showed himself 

 and was going towards them, one of the poachers 

 for Joseph now saw it was not the boys, as he thought, 

 but two men snatched up his rifle to fire." 



" They must have been quite close to each other, 

 were they not?" 



"To be sure they were, quite close ; perhaps eight 

 or at most ten yards apart. If Joseph had not felt 

 sure that it was the Kranzberger boys he would have 

 been more cautious, you know, and not have exposed 



