HOMEWARDS. 297 



asked more than the poachers, no one would take it, 

 so we are obliged to give it at the same price as they." 



Rather hard this, for another to be underselling 

 you with your own property ! 



" Have any been out lately ?" I asked. 



" Of course : why they are always out : it was not 

 long ago Bauer met three men on the Enning, where 

 you shot your buck today, close by where we first 

 saw him." 



" As he dared not fire, he could not do much I 

 suppose." 



" He took away the rifle of one, that was all. The 

 thing was, he stalked close up to the man without his 

 perceiving him, and laid hold of his rifle. The fellow, 

 who was sitting on a rock, was terribly startled, and 

 slipped forward to get away : Bauer caught hold of 

 his rifle, and thought to get the man too, but he just 

 escaped." 



"And the others," 1 said, "what did they do?" 



" You see, when Bauer crept up to the one poacher 

 he did not know any others were there. He had not 

 observed them, for they were a little distance off". 

 But when he did, he had his rifle to his shoulder in 

 a moment, so they could do nothing but follow their 

 companion, and off they ran." 



We now came in sight of the village and its little 

 homesteads, and broad fresh green pastures ; with 

 here and there a peasant-girl tripping along on the 

 dewy path, returning from Partenkirchen, or youth 

 whistling gaily, or with a mouth-harmonicon feasting 



