170 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



from rolling to the bottom. To the bottom however 

 you were sure to go, and the less the distance it was off 

 the better. Presently we got up again, Xavier in advance, 

 and soon after he was above me on a narrow ledge, and 

 sprang thence to another small crag opposite. 



The space to be cleared was nothing ; but it required 

 great nicety in landing properly on the crag, and in stop- 

 ping the instant your feet rested on it, in order not to 

 go over the other side. This pinnacle of rock was very 

 narrow, and all below sharp and pointed. Xavier, with 

 his rifle well up behind his back, and the pole in his 

 right hand, was over in a second, and stood as firm and 

 upright on his lofty narrow footing as though he had 

 but stepped across. I doubted whether I could manage 

 the jump : the opposite side was where the danger lay, 

 for if I made the leap with only a little too much im- 

 petus, I should not be able to stop myself, and over I 

 must go. 



" Is there no other way, Xavier, of reaching where 

 you now are, but by jumping over ?" 



"No," said he, examining the place, "you cannot 

 cross except by jumping; it is not wide." 



" No, but the other side — that's the thing : it is deep 

 down, is it not ?" 



" Why yes, rather deep ; but come, you can do it." 

 " I feel I cannot, so will not try," I replied, and began 

 to look for some other way. The cleft itself, across which 

 Xavier sprang, was only about twelve or fourteen feet 

 deep ; I was at the bottom of it, and while standing be- 

 tween the two rocks I thought I might manage to climb 

 upwards, with my back against one wall and my feet or 

 knees against the other, as a sweep passes up a perpen- 

 dicular flue, to which this place had a great resemblance. 

 My heavy rifle inconvenienced me, but still I contrived 



