286 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



starting from the gaps and crevices. It was on the top 

 of one of these rocks the buck was feeding. With 

 our glasses we looked down full upon his broad back. 



" What a magnificent fellow ! If we could but get 

 him, Neuner!" I said, half inquiringly. 



" Yes," he answered, " but how ? that 's the thing." 



At first he was partly hidden among the latschen, 

 then his hind-quarters, quite black, emerged from the 

 dark green bushes, as he slowly moved on, perfectly 

 unconscious of our neighbourhood. 



" I don J t see him now," said Neuner. 



" But I do : look there, the black spot to the right 

 of that bare rock, that 's he ! Here, take my glass." 



" Ah, what a size ! Well, we had better go down 

 yonder to the left, and look if there is any possibility 

 of getting nearer : it will however be a long shot in 

 any case. Shall we try ? " 



"Yes, of course, come along." 



And we went to where the ridge dipped some- 

 what, but yet advanced thitherwards where the cha- 

 mois stood. Now came the latschen, those dreadful 

 latschen through whose thick branches it is so diffi- 

 cult to creep without a rustling noise. We stepped 

 with breathless caution. " Hush ! " said Neuner with 

 a long drawn-out breath ; " Hush sh sh ! silently, 

 silently ! no noise, for heaven's sake ! " And holding 

 back the stubborn branches for each other, we pro- 

 ceeded slowly to the brink. Before us was a wilder- 

 ness of latschen, growing up from the abrupt steep, 

 and there was a deep hollow between the brink where 



