272 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



seen, with a single solitary hut. But it was to the 

 " Hinteren Hiitte " — the hindmost hut — that I had to 

 go ; so crossing the meadow and following a stony path, 

 I soon saw smoke rising slowly, and mixing with the 

 mists which were gathering fast over the landscape. It 

 was growing dark, for I had tarried too long at Parten- 

 kirchen, and the walk thence had taken me two good 

 hours. 



I pushed open the unbolted door, and entered the 

 room on my right. 



" Ha ! you are come at last," said Neuner, rising to 

 meet me ; " it is so late we had given you up." 



" And glad I am to be here," I said; "it is just be- 

 ginning to rain. I fear we shall have bad weather j the 

 sky is overcast, and the clouds look very gloomy." 



" Should it rain in the night so much the better, if it 

 is but fine in the morning. After rain the chamois are 

 on the mountain-tops. We want rain, for it has long 

 been too dry, and the chamois have kept low down." 



I wiped the moisture from my rifle, and hung if up 

 against the wall ; and laying aside my rucksack and 

 thick shoes, was comfortable enough in the warm room. 

 The hut was rather a large one. It consisted of the room 

 where all sat, with a smaller one adjoining ; and on the 

 other side was a kitchen, — that is to say, a smoke- 

 blackened place three or four yards long by one-and-a- 

 half or two in breadth, paved with rough stones, and a 

 rudely-raised hearth in the middle for making fire. On 

 the wall hung several large copper saucepans for warming 

 milk, and an iron frying-pan, and this was all the furni- 

 ture. But nothing could be cleaner than these utensils ; 

 they were as bright inside as if they had been of silver. 

 On entering the house-door you went along a passage, 

 leading to a shed or sort of barn, which, though roofed 



