64 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



upon alahne, turn round so as to get on your stomach as 

 quickly as possible, or else you are lost." While shoot- 

 ing downwards therefore I turned, and grasping my 

 stick, which was well shod with an iron point, I dashed 

 it with all my force into the ground. It stuck fast ; I 

 held on by it, and was stopped in my career. While 

 gliding down, my eyes were turned upwards to Berger. 

 I saw fright expressed on his countenance: our eyes 

 met, but neither uttered a word. Only when I had 

 arrested my further progress, and was cautiously pre- 

 paring to find a sure footing, he called out, "It was 

 lucky you were able to stop ; for heaven's sake be care- 

 ful, it is dreadfully slippery." At last, by making a 

 zigzag line, we reached the top of the lahne. Here 

 were rocks by which we could hold, and getting amongst 

 them came to a perpendicular wall about seven feet 

 high. Its face was as straight as a plummet-line, but 

 it was rough, so that some crevices were to be found 

 which might serve as steps in passing over it. At its 

 base was a small ledge, on which one person could 

 stand, holding on with his own face and the face of the 

 rock close against each other, and behind, below, was — 

 what was not quite pleasant to think of. Berger got 

 over first, having previously with one hand laid his rifle 

 and pole on a ledge of rock above him to have both 

 hands free. Handing up my rifle to him, I followed ; 

 and though the place seemed rather formidable, in 

 reality it was easy enough to climb. As I stood on the 

 ledge face to face with the perpendicular rock, I debated 

 within myself whether I should look behind me or not. 

 I knew that below and behind was nothing but air, and 

 I decided on proceeding without turning round ; so I 

 searched for the most favourable crack or roughness in 

 the rock to make a first step, which moment of delay 



