124 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



proach a hut whence he saw a light gleaming through 

 the crevices, it would be an easy matter for him, as the 

 forester was sitting over his fire, to gratify revenge, and, 

 stealing quietly to the window, send a bullet through 

 his heart. It is one of the first things therefore on 

 such occasions to see that all is safe.* 



As I sat there enjoying to the full all the comfort of 

 my situation, I could not but feel thankful to the dairy- 

 maids who had left the hut in so neat a state, and en- 

 abled us so easily to satisfy our wants. I said as much 

 to Maxl, but he did not seem to think it called for any 

 praise. " A fine thing indeed," exclaimed he, " if the 

 wenches were to go away and not leave all in order ! I 

 should like to catch them doing such a thing ! A good 

 rating they 'd. get for their laziness. No, all must be 

 cleaned up and put aside, that one may know where to 

 find what is wanted; and wood brought in and stacked, 

 so that a fire may be made directly. Suppose we had 

 come here and found nothing — no dry wood, no pans or 

 hay — we should not have spent a very comfortable even- 

 ing, I think!" 



I was amused at MaxPs looking on all this as a right, 

 which the chamois-hunter, as lord of the creation, might 

 duly claim. The fact is, the young foresters when 

 out on the mountains in summer constantly repair to 

 some particular hut for a warm meal or a night's shel- 

 ter. They are welcome guests, for they bring with them 

 mirth and news of the great world and of what is going 



* Not long before I was at Fischbachau one of tbe keepers was sitting 

 at table with his wife and her little baby in her arms, when a blunder- 

 buss loaded with slugs was fired through the window into the room. 

 The wall opposite still had the shot-marks scattered over it. Luckily 

 no one was Ixurt. And this summer (1851) one of the foresters near 

 Ratisbon had a gun fired into his room at night when Ins family were 

 around him : this time too all escaped. 



