THE OLD BUCK. 327 



" Yes, he heard us talking ; but who would ever 

 have thought of his minding it at such a distance? 

 The thing is, the chamois have grown unusually shy 

 from being hunted about wherever they go. They 

 never have any peace ; the peasants are firing eternally, 

 and even though they may not hit them, the noise 

 scares and makes them as wild as possible." 



" 'Tis a capital buck," I observed, examining him 

 with my glass. "Now he is going: he is turning 

 round, and will soon be among the latschen. Now 

 he stops again, just in the middle of the geroll. 

 How capitally I see him now ! He is looking down 

 at us again. What can he be afraid of!" And at 

 once he disappeared among the rocks and bushes. 



What was to be done ? To reach the spot where 

 he had been standing would take, at the very least, 

 three-quarters of an hour besides he was gone ; and 

 though, from the way in which he left the open space 

 for a covert, I judged he would not be very distant, 

 still it was an impossibility to reach the rocks above 

 him without being heard, they were so steep and 

 difficult. 



"The only thing would be," said Neuner musing, 

 "to wait for him up there. He is often where we 

 just now saw him ; a little higher or lower, as may be, 

 but still in the neighbourhood." 



" Do you think he will be out again this evening ? 

 Far off he is not, of that I am certain ; most likely in 

 among the latschen, under the wall of rock to the left, 

 for he went away quite leisurely." 



