a day's sport on the kuammets berg. 175 



the stone and made it yield us nourishment. It was very 

 like that ancient miracle ; indeed I have many a time 

 thought that miracles still often happen to us, only our 

 thankless hearts fail to recognize them. 



How strong and quickened we felt by our meal ! and 

 Xavier relished the smack of rum in the cup of water as 

 much as his brother had done in the hut near Kreuth 

 over our evening fire. 



" I will look after the chamois tomorrow, with the 

 dog/' said Xavier : " there is no fear of our losing him, 

 he is badly wounded, and is, I dare say, not far off. But 

 now we must think of going homeward, for we have a 

 long distance to walk and it soon gets dark. Let me 

 see, where is the best way out V 3 he continued, examining 

 the steep rock : "up yonder I think we can manage it :" 

 and lifting the chamois on his back he at once set off. 

 But to get up a smooth rock with a dead weight of fifty 

 pounds at your back is not so easy ; holding my pole 

 therefore for him to step on, and disencumbering him 

 of his rifle, which I handed up to him afterwards, he 

 mounted the rocks, and we were soon out of the clam 

 and on the green mountain -side. Now then home- 

 wards ! 



In a few hours' time we saw the forester's house 

 among the trees, and as we came nearer — yes, surely it 

 was no delusion — green arches erected over the road 

 that led thither ; the doorway too was festively adorned 

 with green wreaths, and all looked gay enough. We 

 soon learned that the King had arrived j and the whole 

 house was in a bustle of preparation, getting the rooms 

 in order, preparing dinner, etc. etc. All were busied 

 sufficiently without having an extra visitor ; so I deter- 

 mined to go on to the Fall that same night, and the next 

 morning walk to Hohenburg, a castle formerly the resi- 



