ON THE MOUNTAIN. 205 



seen coming on over the ridge. But no round orb swam 

 into sight : great spokes of silver came instead, and frost- 

 work, and fringe, and bars of light, — strange shapes we 

 had never seen before. The moon had got behind the 

 dark green branches of a latschen, and was shining 

 through it. Berger stopped to admire and wonder : I 

 thought of Moses and the burning bush. 



The next day we were out again, and opposite the 

 Roth Wand espied thirteen chamois. The herd was on 

 the side of the mountain, where, by some ancient phe- 

 nomenon, all had been laid waste, and covered from top 

 to bottom with loose rolling stones. There was no bush, 

 no prominence, behind shelter of which it was possible 

 to advance on them ; the whole broad expanse was no- 

 thing but dreary barren rubble. Ay, there they were, 

 and here were we; but how get at them? It was ar- 

 ranged that Berger and I should go back, and passing 

 up the shoulder of the mountain reach the summit ; and 

 then, keeping just beneath the ridge, make the best of 

 our way to a certain gap, towards which, when disturbed, 

 it was thought they would bear. So Joseph thought. 

 Berger said they would go further on, and cross the' 

 ridge at another spot ; but being the younger he gave 

 way, and we both started off for our appointed station. 

 Joseph staid behind, and it was agreed that in two hours 

 he might show himself, so as to make the game move; 

 for in about this time, it was thought, we might get to 

 the top. We walked fast and did our best. 



As seen from below, a mountain-ridge presents gaps 

 seemingly not of great size ; but when you stand close 

 to them they wear a different aspect. Torn, broken, 

 crumbling, the sides overhang a gulf. Up one of 

 these we climbed. The blocks of stone were loose, 

 and as I clung to some of them standing but a little 



