MEETING WITH POACHERS. 213 



" They are quite fresh," observed Berger ; " they can- 

 not have passed here long :" and we distinctly made out 

 the trail of five men. " When we come to the road," he 

 continued, " we shall be able to see which way they have 

 taken ; but I have no doubt they are gone up the moun- 

 tain. Today is a sort of a holiday, and the rascals always 

 choose such days, as they think we are at home, and that 

 consequently they are safe. They are from Hundham, I 

 know it for certain, for they come from that direction,— 

 the worst set in the whole neighbourhood." This village 

 was notorious for its poachers, and not one of them but 

 would as soon send a bullet through a gamekeeper as a 

 roebuck. 



On reaching the road we found by the footsteps that 

 the men had entered the wood with which the slope was 

 covered. 



" Just as I thought ! " exclaimed Berger ; " they have 

 gone up exactly where we are going ; there is little chance 

 now of our seeing anything today. Confound the rascals ! 

 there's a day's sport spoiled ! " 



We made out that some others had taken a different 

 direction, and that they had not all kept together. As 

 we went up the hill Berger said : "It is well to have your 

 rifle ready : look if all is in order, and it will be better 

 to put back the stoplock ; for there's no knowing what 

 may happen." 



In going up the Heissen Platten we found the track 

 of a deer in the moss and on the soft ground ; and on 

 nearer examination I saw it was quite fresh, and that the 

 animal must have passed there but a very short time be- 

 fore. We followed it for some distance, but the men 

 had no doubt scared it away, and there was not much 

 likelihood of meeting it again. Berger was behind, and 

 while waiting for him I leaned on my staff and looked 



