MEETING WITH POACHERS. 243 



flower in it that Nancy had stuck there the day be- 

 fore. This determined me; so I stopped and went 

 after my hat : I reached it at last. The fellows were 

 near now, and never ceased their cries. We were at 

 length out of the latschen, a reason the more for 

 making all speed. Berger ran on, and I close behind. 

 He made for a spot, down which he intended to pass ; 

 we reached it. "Good God!" he cried; "it is a 

 Wand (a precipice) ; we can't get down ! " Further 

 on there was no outlet, no way to escape ; we were 

 therefore obliged to go back again. We reached some 

 rocks : they were not much less steep than those 

 where we had been before, but Berger dashed down 

 them, now rolling, now sliding, now holding on as 

 he best could. Just above that place was an open 

 spot, no bush or rock, nothing but bare stones. I 

 looked below, to see how I was to manage it, for the 

 descent was nearly straight. Half way down a soli- 

 tary latschen grew out of the rocks on one side, and I 

 calculated that if I could catch that in passing, and 

 hold by it, I should be all right. I was just stooping 

 to descend, when one of the poachers sent a ball after 

 me, to quicken me in my resolve ; it luckily fell short. 

 Berger turned, and looked up to see if I was hit. 

 While standing on that bare spot, I no doubt pre- 

 sented too good a mark to let the opportunity pass 

 unimproved. But this so enraged me, that, had I not 

 been already scrambling downwards, I should have 

 turned and sent a bullet back in reply ; for the young 

 fellow being foremost, it was he, I imagined, who had 



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