398 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



"After a time Probst came to himself, and lifting 

 his head and looking round, saw the others covered 

 with blood, lying motionless on the ground. He got 

 up and tried to rouse them, but he found both were 

 dead so at least he thought. He then, still bleeding 

 and covered with wounds, tottered homewards. After 

 he was gone, Fuchs recovered a little, and observed 

 that Probst was gone. He spoke to Meier, but found 

 him dead. Stunned, and bewildered, and staggering, 

 he still tried to reach the nearest house, and made 

 his way to Gmund, which was about an hour and a 

 half's walk distant. Meier lived here, and Fuchs went 

 straight to the cottage to tell his wife what had be- 

 fallen her husband, and that he had been killed in the 

 wood. Hardly had he finished his story when he 

 fell forward, and dropped down dead on the floor. 

 The sudden change of temperature on coming into the 

 warm room out of the fresh air, added to the exertion 

 and loss of blood, was no doubt the cause of his 

 instantaneous death. Probst survived, though the 

 wounds in his head were terrible. He had recognized 

 most of the men, but when they were called upon for 

 their defence, each proved an alibi ; one bringing wit- 

 nesses to swear that on that day he was at a shooting 

 match in a village some miles off, and another that 

 at such time he was in the Tyrol ; and thus they all 

 managed to escape." 



It was my intention, had my indisposition not pre- 

 vented me, to have gone from Partenkirchen to Berch- 

 tesgaden, and endeavoured to obtain a day's stalking 



