344 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



a sack or bowl full of flour will also be found there ; and 

 this completes the stock of food which the herdsmen 

 have for their subsistence. One of the men attends to 

 the in-door work and household duties, among which 

 cooking and the business of the dairy hold the chief 

 place. With no other ingredients than flour, milk, 

 and butter, it would be difficult to introduce much va- 

 riety into the cuisine ; and yet the everlasting schmar- 

 ren is changed occasionally for dumplings, made in the 

 palm of the hand with curds, and fried in butter ; and 

 where bread is to be had, a " Milk Suppe " will be cooked 

 today instead of the old dish of yesterday. A bowl of 

 milk during or after the meal supplies the place of beer 

 or wine. Thus three times a day, for six months or more, 

 they have this simple but nutritious diet. 



As we passed a hut we stopped to ask the. herdsman 

 if he had heard any stags that morning. " Yes, faith ! w 

 was the reply ; " heard them and seen them too. Last 

 night they made such a noise, there was no possibility of 

 getting to sleep. Just before daybreak they must have 

 been quite low down and near the hut ; and a rare bel- 

 lowing it was. Up yonder to the left, on that green 

 slope below the trees/' he continued, pointing upwards 

 to a spot above a deep ravine, ' ' there pretty nearly every 

 day I've seen a good stag moving about. This morning, 

 His true, he was not there, but tomorrow he 's sure to 

 come. As to stags, there are plenty about here." 



" What say you to remaining here, instead of going on 

 to the other hut ?" asked my companion of me. "As the 

 stags have been heard here, we have as good a chance 

 as if we go further." 



I agreed to remain, so we entered, and began to 

 unpack the contents of his rucksack. Seated round 

 and over the fire were four men, bare-legged from the 



