266 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



" Of course : why they are always out : it was not 

 long ago Bauer met three men on the Enning, where you 

 shot your buck today, — close by where we first saw him." 



" As he dared not fire, he could not do much, I sup- 

 pose." 



" He took away the rifle of one, — that was all. The 

 thing was, he stalked close up to the man without his 

 perceiving him, and laid hold of his rifle. The fellow, 

 who was sitting on a rock, was terribly startled, and 

 slipped forward to get away. Bauer caught hold of his 

 rifle, and thought to get the man too, but he just es- 

 caped." 



"And the others," I said, " what did they do ?" 



" You see, when Bauer crept up to the one poacher he 

 did not know any others were there. He had not ob- 

 served them, for they were a little distance off. But 

 when he did, he had his rifle to his shoulder in a mo- 

 ment so they could do nothing but follow their compa- 

 nion, and off they ran." 



We now came in sight of the village and its little 

 homesteads, and broad fresh green pastures ; with here 

 and there a peasant-girl tripping along on the dewy 

 path, returning from Partenkirchen, or youth whistling 

 gaily, or with a mouth-harmonicon feasting his soul with 

 music, as he lingered abstractedly on his way. 



And now we are in the village, and the children stop 

 in their play, and the old people and youths and lasses 

 pause in their work as we pass, and look at the good cha- 

 mois that Neuner has at his back. And with what feel- 

 ing of inner satisfaction and delight you meet the pas- 

 sers-by ! in truth you are glad they happen to come that 

 way just then, when the rucksack is freshly stained and 

 bulging out with its pleasant load. You feel so cheery 

 and light-hearted, so perfectly satisfied with yourself, and, 



