344 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



even butter entered into his simple diet, so great was 

 his poverty. Yet how cheerful he was withal ! Milk, 

 potatoes, and broth thickened with maize-flour, were 

 his sole food; but, like a true philosopher, seeking 

 out the gleams of brightness that illumined his dark 

 life, and making the most of them as so much posi- 

 tive gain, he added gaily, " Oh, but I am healthy, and 

 strong and well." He did not know what a catarrh 

 was, he said, " but thought it must be a very unpleasant 

 thing to have, he should not like it at all." 



" Happy fellow !" exclaimed the Minister Von der 

 P * * * ? who happened to overhear him, " happy 

 fellow, he never wants to go to Carlsbad for the 

 waters !" 



I stopped at Grunau on coming back, and, going 

 into the single house standing there, chatted with the 

 landlord, asking many questions, as I have the bad 

 habit of doing. 



" Are you from Munich?" he inquired. 



" No, from England." 



" Prom England ! Ah, / have heard of England! 

 I have heard too that the people there are very skil- 

 ful; is it true?" 



My good old friend Kobell was just then at Hohen- 

 schwangau on a visit, so I stuffed a few things into 

 my rucksack, and set off one afternoon to go and 

 shake hands with him. A little strip of Austria runs 

 into the Bavarian territory before you get to Lermos, 

 and intersects your road thither. I mention it merely 

 for the sake of bearing testimony to the obliging be- 



