BAIERISCH ZELL. 195 



he said, for you know they were quite close, behind ano- 

 ther tree at most seven yards off. Bauer told him to go, 

 and he would watch the others ; and if one of them moved 

 forward to fire, he would let fly at him the same moment. 

 Joseph went off, and they did not attempt to shoot at 

 him. As he went along he ate a mouthful of gunpowder, 

 and got safe home at last." 



" And what did Bauer do afterwards ?" 



"He kept where he was behind the tree, with his rifle 

 raised the whole time, ready to take advantage of the 

 least movement of the poachers which should present 

 never so small a mark to aim at. Once he thought, 

 if he took great care and was very steady, he might 

 hit one. He only saw a part of his head : he fired, and 

 shot the poacher's cap off. The bullet just grazed the 

 tree in passing, so little did the man's head project be- 

 yond it ; but Bauer thought he might manage to hit him, 

 and, you see, he very nearly did so." 



" Well, but how did the affair end ?" 



" Oh, there they remained opposite each other till it 

 grew dark, and then they went off: for in the dark, 

 you know, neither could see to fire at the other in 

 going away. The next day they found the roebuck and 

 the cap lying on the ground, and saw where the bullet 

 had grazed the tree. Joseph's arm was shattered above 

 the elbow, and it is the greatest wonder that he did not 

 lose it entirely. He cannot use it much, but it is better 

 than having none. It is stiff and very weak ; but being 

 the right arm, he can still shoot with a rifle, which he is 

 very glad of." 



At the Solachcrs' all were at home, and Joseph the 

 elder brother too, who had returned from Munich, where 

 he had been when I was last at his cottage. He had got 

 a prize — the first if I remember rightly— consisting of a 



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