316 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



Beyond lay a world of shadows, where no eye could 

 penetrate. Suddenly the forester exclaimed, " There 's 

 a chamois !" I saw nothing; but a moment after from 

 out the mist and cloud came the sound of a rolling 

 stone, and as we listened we heard it bounding on till 

 at last it was no longer audible. 



We found but one new track of game in the snow, 

 the others were all old. The place seemed forsaken. 

 We still went on, and, creeping up a shoulder of the 

 mountain, looked over into a hollow spread with ver- 

 dure for the mists had sailed away just then in the 

 sure hope of seeing some animal life; but our eyes 

 swept over every inch of ground in vain. 



It was now six o'clock, and I was glad to breakfast. 

 A slice of brown bread and one of Christina's apples 

 furnished the meal. I relished it much, for I was very 

 hungry. Before us rose the Bishop, a mountain of 

 grey rock, on this side almost entirely covered with 

 snow. 



"Was that a good place for chamois formerly?" I 

 asked. 



" No, never," replied Neuner ; " but further down 

 was one of their favourite haunts. Yonder runs the 

 boundary-line which divides the chase belonging to 

 the Eschenlohe peasants from that of the King. They 

 come across, and leave the game no rest: you may 

 hear shots cracking, all the year round ; in season or 

 out of season, it is quite the same to them. Here 

 we shoot the does too, because if we did not, they 

 would; so, you see, we are ourselves obliged to clear 



