240 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



(graben) are rather frightful to look at — some of thern 

 at least. I shot a chamois on the Kramer some time 

 ago, and he afterwards climbed to a spot where he could 

 not get out, nor I after him ; so I had to fetch a rope 

 and let myself down by it, and then drag him and my- 

 self up again."* 



" I suppose as long as the laws remain in their pre- 

 sent form poaching will not cease. What think you, 

 Neuner?" 



" Oh, the laws are well enough, if they were but exe- 

 cuted. We have law, but there is no one to look after it. 

 The fellows know we must not fire, so they don't care : 

 they like to go out, and seeing how little chance there 

 is of punishment, out they go and shoot to their heart's 

 content." 



" Do they fire at the foresters here ?" I asked. 

 "The Schlier See men do not hesitate a moment, 

 but as soon as they see one up goes the rifle to their 

 shoulder : whether attacked or not, it is all the same to 

 them." 



" No, here they don't : they always run away. But 

 once I met a fellow carrying off a chamois, and called to 



* When a chamois is wounded in the flanks, the ball going through 

 the bowels, it is always best to let it alone for some time, for it is then 

 sure to He down at the first convenient spot it meets with. If on the 

 contrary you still pursue it, in the hope to get one more shot, the animal 

 will go on and on, climbing upwards till it is at last locked in and can 

 get no further. But the worst part is, you cannot get at it either ; or if 

 you should be able to approach near enough to put an end to the busi- 

 ness with another ball, the chamois in falling from its narrow ledge will 

 probably roll to such a distance, or come toppling down, dashing from 

 crag to crag, that even if recovered it is of no good to any one, as bones 

 and flesh will most likely be all battered into a pulp. For this reason 

 there are certain occasions when a calm sportsman would not fire at a 

 chamois, because he would know that, if he hit it, the creature would be 

 sure to go tumbling over the precipice. 



