218 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



not a moment to be lost. And indeed the wild cries 

 from the band grew louder with each shout. The 

 mountain was steep, and we were soon among the lats- 

 chen, keeping our heads low that they might not betray 

 our whereabouts, or serve as a mark for their rifles. The 

 men's cries grew now quite distinct — " Down with the 

 rascally Jager ! — the villains — down with them I" and 

 every instant brought the voices nearer. 



" Quicker, for Heaven's sake, quicker! they are coming 

 on fast ! " cried Berger, who was far in advance, but who 

 now stopped to wait for me; "what keeps you so long?" 

 The thing was, in moving through the latschen, a branch 

 had caught the leathern strap by which I slung the rifle 

 at my back, and the metal fastening had snapped. So 

 now I was obliged to carry it in my hand, which was 

 very inconvenient. 



" Down with the rascals ! " was again ringing behind 

 me — " Fire at the villains ! " but though they said this 

 I do not think they saw us, or they would not have 

 spared their balls. The latschen were thick and high, 

 and a branch of one whirled off my hat, and whisked it 

 away over the tops of the next bushes. To leave that 

 behind as a trophy for the men of Hundham would 

 never do; besides I remembered there was the flower 

 in it that Nancy had stuck there the day before. This 

 determined me ; so I stopped and went after my hat : 

 I reached it at last. The fellows were near now, and 

 never ceased their cries. We were at length out of the 

 latschen, — a reason the more for making all speed. 

 Berger ran on, and I close behind. He made for a spot, 

 down which he intended to pass ; we reached it. ( ' Good 

 God!" he cried ; "it is a Wand (a precipice) ; we can't 

 get down ! " Further on there was no outlet, no way to 

 escape; we were therefore obliged to go back again. 



