194 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



not fire, but went round, to be able to get nearer before 

 he sprang forward to lay bold of them ; for by going 

 round the little mound where they stood he could steal 

 close up to them unperceived. They must have heard 

 something however: for at the moment that Joseph 

 showed himself and was going towards them, one of the 

 poachers — for Joseph now saw it was not the boys, 

 as he thought, but two men — snatched up his rifle to 

 fire." 



" They must have been quite close to each other, were 

 they not?" 



" To be sure they were, quite close ; perhaps eight or 

 at most ten yards apart. If Joseph had not felt sure 

 that it was the Kranzberger boys he would have been 

 more cautious, you know, and not have exposed himself; 

 but he thought for certain it was they. He had gone 

 round, on purpose to get quite close up to them before 

 seizing them. Well, directly he saw the man level his 

 rifle at him, there was nothing left him, unprepared as 

 he was, but to spring behind a tree which was close by. 

 Just as he did so the poacher fired. Joseph gave a turn, 

 but he thought the ball had hit the stock of his gun, 

 which he still had at his back, and it was that which 

 caused the shock he felt ; and he was going to lay hold 

 of his rifle, in readiness lest one of the fellows should ap- 

 proach, when he found he could not move his arm. It 

 hung down quite helpless like a dead thing, and then only 

 he discovered that he had been shot. At the moment 

 he had not felt it at all. Turning to Bauer he said, f My 

 God, Bauer, they have hit me I* Both stood behind the 

 tree for a while, but Joseph naturally could do nothing 

 with his shattered arm. At last he said to Bauer that 

 the pain was so great he could not bear it any longer, and 

 that come what might he must go. The others heard all 



