THE KROTENKOPF AND THE KRAMER. 311 



have missed ! Where were they ?" he continued, as he 

 looked for their slot in the snow. 



" But I have. For a moment I thought I had hit him, 

 but now I see I did not." 



" Where were they standing when you fired ?" 



" Further on. But it is useless to look : I have fol- 

 lowed them already, and found nothing. Further on, — 

 down lower — further still, if you will look," I called out, 

 as he inquired about the position of the chamois. 



" Here's hair enough however," he cried, holding up 

 some in his fingers, as I ran to the place. The long black 

 hair of the back was lying on the snow, and by its length 

 it was evident that it had been shaved off quite close to 

 the backbone. The supposition that one moved as though 

 hurt, which I had a moment entertained, but afterwards 

 given up as a mere fancy, was, I now saw, well founded 

 I had touched him. The ball had just grazed the verte- 

 brae, but so very slightly as to cause only the momentary 

 lameness I had remarked. 



" Look how long they are !" said Bauer, examining 

 the speckled hairs . " Well, that was near ! an eighth of 

 an inch lower down, and he would have dropped at once. 

 'Twas a long shot though, that I must say." 



The mishap was indeed particularly vexatious; for, 

 had they come but a little nearer, I might easily have 

 shot both, — right and left; and it would have been a 

 pleasant thing to recur to in aftertime. 



The rest of the day we saw nothing. At the hut the 

 herdsman foretold change of weather. " The cattle were so 

 wild," he said, " they had broken the pole of the waggon 

 that morning. He was quite sure it would not be fine 

 on the morrow ; it's a sure sign when the cattle are so 

 restless. As to the almanack-writers, they may say what 

 they like, — the cattle are never wrong." 



