178 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



the arduousness of the task. His knees trembled, it is 

 true, beneath the weight ; he bore heavily on his staff, 

 and was obliged to rest from time to time; but — he 

 brought it down, and alone. 



As I sat over my supper, chatting with him about the 

 chase, I asked how many stags he had shot in his life, 

 and how many chamois. 



" Oh," said he, " of stags I kept no account, but cha- 

 mois I know exactly ;" and he named a number which, 

 no longer remembering it with exactness, I would rather 

 not indicate at all. I could not but smile at the little 

 estimation in which he held the noble red-deer, when 

 put in comparison with his favourite chamois. 



" A chamois I" he continued, — " ah, that is a different 

 thing altogether ; there is nothing equal to a chamois. 

 I have heard a great talk of hunting wild animals in 

 America, and I don't know where besides, but after all 

 it can't be as fine sport as in our mountains. For what 

 creature is there like a chamois ? As many as I have 

 shot in my time, there's no trouble, no risk that I should 

 think too great to get a shot at one. And what a pleasure 

 it is to watch them !" 



I intended to start early the next morning for 

 Hohenburg, and to spend a day or two there; and 

 Rietsch wanted me to return in about a fortnight, 

 kindly promising that if I did so I should shoot a good 

 buck. 



" By that time the rutting season will have begun, 

 and the old bucks be on the move; they will come 

 out of their lurking-places, and we shall be sure to 

 get a shot. Only come," he said, " and if you were to 

 shoot a good buck in my circuit I should be right well 

 pleased, — only come." 



Tempting as the proposal was, I was obliged to resist- 



