MIST ON THE MOUNTAIN. 281 



it is fatiguing, hindersome, and even dangerous to find 

 yourself stumbling over unseen obstructions, or your 

 nailed shoes sliding from under you down a slanting 

 surface of stone. The angle up which you are going 

 being pretty acute, down you come on such occasions on 

 both hands, and, what is far more annoying than having 

 your knees driven into the earth or among the stones, 

 your rifle flies round your shoulder and descends with 

 no little force upon the ground. This always went far 

 to put me in a passion. On such occasions my first 

 thought was my rifle ; and if unable to see, I would feel, 

 if all was in order. 



We went up in a straight line for some time ; at last 

 Neuner said we should soon have better ground. We 

 could now just see black patches, like blots, through the 

 gloom, and soon these grew into distincter outlines, be- 

 coming trees and latschen. There was a rude path in 

 the neighbourhood that led to the summit, but how dis- 

 cover the exact spot ? Amid stunted bushes, looking one 

 like another, and patches of torn-up rock, and gravel, 

 and stones, it was difficult in the dusk to find the place. 



" Yonder is the dead tree/' said Neuner, " and the 

 path is to the right, a little higher up." 



" I think it is nearer the tree than where we are," 

 answered the other, " and near thick clumps of latschen. 

 Wait a moment," he added to me, " I '11 go straight on, 

 and do you, Neuner, keep to the right. We shall soon 

 find it." 



Presently a whistle told me the path was found, and 

 going straight toward the sound, we all three proceeded 

 one behind the other. As we neared the summit, the 

 grey rock and snow appeared through the dun clouds, 

 and below us mists were floating, which shut out the 

 living world from view. 



