HOMEWARDS. 263 



together in a pool," said Neuner. " He is forester in 

 that district, you know. It was in summer, when the 

 great horse-fly is very troublesome to them. Another 

 time he met seventeen together. That was a sight — such 

 pushing and rolling and fighting with each other." 



"It must have been worth seeing," I observed. 

 " What a splashing, and how they must have been coated 

 with mud \" 



" Bauer shot one there the other day, — just there, be- 

 tween yonder woods, where you see a way cut through 

 them," said Neuner, pointing to a grassy avenue leading 

 from the smooth green meadow away into the forest. 

 " Game would quickly be here, if there was only a little 

 peace. The red-deer, that used to quit their haunts at 

 certain seasons, now stay and drop their young here ; and 

 in the rutting season the stags have their appointed places 

 too. For some years this has been the case; formerly 

 they never did so. With a little quiet, I should soon 

 have a fair stock again, for all the places about here are 

 favourable for deer and chamois; they can maintain 

 themselves on the mountains, and there are sheltered 

 spots for them in winter, just such places as they like. 

 And you see how beautifully all adjoins and hangs to- 

 gether : I would not wish a finer forest, and it used to 

 be my greatest delight ; but now, I don't know how it is, 

 all my pleasure is at an end." 



"But things will change," I said; "be sure matters 

 cannot go on as they are now, — they must mend." 



" Oh, you can form no idea of the endless disagree- 

 ables we have to go through. There are our master's 

 rights to defend ; and if we do so, never so mildly, then 

 the peasants, every one of them, abuse us in all possible 

 ways. They think now they have a right to everything : 

 they want wood given them, or permission to collect 



