UP THE MOUNTAIN. 255 



so we hastened back some distance, and down the rocks, 

 in order to meet him should he come that way. But 

 we saw no trace of him, though every bush and spot was 

 examined most carefully. 



" He cannot have passed, Neuner," I said : " he must 

 be among the latschen. Perhaps he is behind that up- 

 right rock yonder : I will go forward and see." And leav- 

 ing my long pole behind me, I went carefully through 

 the latschen and looked over the precipice. It went 

 down quite perpendicular two hundred feet, and from my 

 pinnacle I had a good view around, but saw nothing of 

 the chamois. 



We regained our ridge by climbing a steep, so long and 

 slippery that I was right glad when it was behind us. We 

 sat down to rest. Opposite was the Kramer, and rising 

 above this was the Zug Spitz range, grand and mighty 

 in its proportions, and the eye wandered over those snowy 

 peaks far away into the Tyrol. On the left the Ettaler 

 Mannl came peeping from amid the verdure-covered 

 rocks. My good friend Franz Kobell has sung his stern 

 virtues ; but I was now hungry, and so tormented with 

 thirst that I cared not one farthing about his virtues or 

 anything else, — / wanted to drink. Water was not to 

 be had ; I was obliged therefore to mix some snow with 

 a few drops of rum and eat it. Neuner told me snow 

 would only make me more thirsty, but that I could not 

 help^ — drink I must. We ate a crust of bread, and, as 

 the sun was shining warmly, we crept into a shady place, 

 with Bursch beside us, and all three had a sound sleep. 



In an hour we awoke, and on we went again. " A 

 buck ! a buck I" flew suddenly from Neuner's lips ; and 

 with widely-opened eyes and his mouth screwed up as 

 though he were saying " Hush \" though he uttered not 

 a breath, down he dropped, so as to prevent his body 



