ON THE MOUNTAIN. 233 



you passed it when you came down from the Roth 

 Wand on your road to the Solachers'. Well, when 

 he came here he stopped to load his gun; while he 

 was doing so it was dusk already he thought, as 

 there was no knowing what might happen, he would 

 load one barrel with shot : so in one barrel he put a 

 ball, and a handful of shot in the other. He then sat 

 down among the bushes to watch if any one came, for 

 he fancied it was not unlikely that the fellows he had 

 met on the mountain might take that path downward, 

 and if so, they would then have to cross that narrow 

 plank, and as they came on he might give them another 

 welcoming. He had sat about an hour when he heard 

 voices ; they came nearer, and presently he saw men 

 across the water, and could just make out that they 

 all were armed. That 's right, he thought, they are 

 the same ; and when near, just as they were all crowded 

 together, about to cross the bridge, he fired his shot- 

 barrel into the midst of them. You may suppose their 

 consternation, after having had two of their com- 

 rades shot on the mountain without seeing who it 

 was that fired, now in the darkness to have the same 

 thing happen once more. Kothbacher went leisurely 

 through the bushes, and walked quietly home ; but 

 they were terrified almost out of their senses, and did 

 not know what to do, for they never thought them- 

 selves safe, and could not tell if another shot might 

 not come peppering in among them a moment after." 

 " Did he kill one with the last shot?" I asked." 

 " No ; he said he heard quite well the shot falling 



