UP THE MOUNTAIN. 259 



none. Then came the doubts and anxiety ; yet at the 

 same time I felt sure he was hit, and well hit too. With 

 some difficulty we clambered down to the foot of the 

 rock ; I looked into the gulf, but could see no trace of 

 the animal. 



" He must be in there, Neuner, — I am sure he must. 

 No chamois that was not badly wounded ever came 

 down a rock as he did. I'll go down and look after 

 him." 



" No, you will not be able to get out again ; it is im- 

 possible. Let us go lower down yonder, and look up 

 the gully." 



We did so, and I stopped to load my rifle. Neuner 

 meanwhile ran forwards to a projecting crag, and by his 

 manner and the expression of his whole body I knew he 

 saw the chamois. At the same moment he fired. 



" There he is \" he cried j " he 's limping." 



"Stop, Neuner, I am sure he can't go far; we shall 

 overtake him, and then we'll let Bursch follow, and 

 he'll bring him to bay." And down we ran, where at 

 any other time we should have gone with slow and care- 

 ful steps, and presently caught sight of him. 



" There he is \" 



" Let me fire \" I cried j " do you see him ? Ah, now 

 I do, but the latschen half hides him. Now he moves 

 forward !" Fire ! — and down he rolls head over heels. 

 Bursch, who till now, though trembling in every limb 

 with excitement, had restrained his desperate longing, 

 was unable to do so any longer. When the chamois 

 fell, he dashed forwards, baying, screaming almost with 

 passionate delight, and the chamois and he were going 

 down the steep together, and we following as fast as we 

 could go; it was a headlong race over loose stones of 

 every size, slipping, stumbling, falling, and then sliding 



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