316 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



us could bear it long. Now for the frying-pan, and then 

 we shall soon have a warm, savoury meal ! But what a 

 state was that vessel in ! Covered full an inch thick 

 with grease, rancid from staleness, and incrusted every- 

 where with dirt and dust, just as it had been left by 

 the last lazy comer. This was indeed disheartening — the 

 last drop in our cup of bitterness. However there was 

 nothing to be done but to clean the pan, and try to 

 make it fit for use. It took no little time to accom- 

 plish this, but it was fairly done at last. After it had 

 been well scoured, and water repeatedly boiled in it to 

 get rid of its impurities, we set it on the fire with a good 

 lump of butter, while Bauer mixed the batter for the 

 schmarren. Now all is ready, and the fair white meal 

 and water is poured into the pan. But what a sight ! 

 it all turns black at once, looking more like the black 

 broth of Sparta than any Christian food. Grievous as 

 this was, the whole had in it something so comic that 

 we could not but laugh. We let it fry however, and 

 then tasting a bit and finding it not so very bad, cooked 

 and ate a part. Luckily we discovered an old iron ladle, 

 and having well cleaned it, boiled some water, and mixed 

 ourselves a ladle- full of grog. This, twice filled, and 

 some bread that I had in my rucksack, furnished us a 

 better supper j and I had still a crust left, just enough 

 for the morrow's breakfast. How different was this place 

 from the hut near Kreuth, which had been made so 

 clean and tidy, and left in such perfect order by " Ca- 

 tharina Hess 1" It was a disgrace to a hunter to leave 

 things in such a state, — nothing washed, the room un- 

 swept, and whatever had been used, lying about as when 

 last employed. On some boards, covered with straw, 

 was our bed ; and putting our joppen and blanket over 

 us, we soon fell asleep. 



