96 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



for wind found the assent of experience. Moidl was quite 

 a fair cook, and as I had some time before rendered her 

 lover, who was serving his three years' military service in the 

 nearest garrison town, the much-prized favour of obtaining for 

 him an unexpected leave of absence, she was, so far as the 

 primitive means at her command allowed her, an attentive 

 hostess, and, as the sequel proved, an energetic strategist- 

 ' And you are sure that you will return to the Hohe Geschniirr 

 to-morrow morning?' queried the lass as I was settling myself 

 for a comfortable afternoon smoke at the open hearth. To 

 my affirmative answer she replied with a smile and a nod, and 

 soon afterwards left the hut, bent, as I supposed, on some 

 errand connected with the guardianship of the kine in her 

 charge, and from which she had not returned when I turned 

 in for a second night in the hay. My start next morning was 

 an early one, and I reached the top of the cliff in good time. 

 Awaiting sunrise and the wind being favourable, I was soon 

 creeping with bated breath through the low brush that grew to the 

 very edge of the cliff, and looked down to renew my acquaintance, 

 if possible, with the old lord of the manor. But, alas ! the 

 rising morning mist still hid the lower portion of the vast 

 amphitheatre-shaped declivity. What wonderful effects do not 

 those fleecy clouds produce as, drifting from pinnacle to pinnacle, 

 assuming every minute different fantastic shapes, they finally 

 begin to melt away, disclosing as they do so bit after bit of the 

 details of the sublime landscape ! When the base of the cliff 

 at last became visible, I saw, somewhat to my surprise, quite a 

 number of chamois congregated and evidently made uneasy 

 by some sign of danger which was invisible to me ; I could 

 even hear their 'whistle.' With my glasses I soon picked out 

 my buck of yesterday, and near him I saw a second veteran. 

 It was much too far to shoot, so I awaited with imaginable 

 impatience what the next move of the game would be. 

 Slowly, with frequent stops to look back in the direction where 

 their scent detected danger, they at last commenced an 

 upward course which would bring them, if nothing changed 



