TRACKING THE WOUNDED STAG: 363 



sently, on turning my eyes, I saw just above me the head 

 of the chamois projecting beyond the latschen, and look- 

 ing with an inquisitive stare at the two human beings 

 he thus unexpectedly had chanced upon. His surprised, 

 droll face made me smile, and I touched Hans, that he 

 too might see him. "It's a buck," he said under his 

 breath ; " quick ! fire !" 



I did so, and the animal turned and disappeared. But 

 he was hit, and we saw him some minutes afterwards 

 about a hundred and sixty yards off. Another shot, and 

 we were soon beside him, as he lay stretched out on the 

 grass. 



" A very fair buck," said Hans, looking at him as he 

 lay before us ; and both were satisfied that it was a buck. 

 We now turned over the chamois to clean him, when 

 to the surprise of both we found it was a doe, — a yeld 

 one and very old, and of a most masculine appearance. 

 Not only was the head very male-looking, but along the 

 back was a ridge of long hair, usually to be found only 

 in bucks. The horns were corrugated and covered with 

 resin, indicating the very respectable age of their pos- 

 sessor. 



We had one day passed before the hut, where it had 

 been first our intention to take up our quarters. There 

 was a Sennerinn here, which was rather unusual, and she 

 with her two brothers attended to the cattle and dairy. 

 I very much doubt whether a person to whom the un- 

 becoming dress which the women on the mountains fre- 

 quently assume was unfamiliar, would, at first sight, 

 have recognized the sex of the individual in question ; 

 and yet she was womanly in demeanour, despite her 

 horrid costume, and she had a pretty smile and a mild 

 blue eye. Happily too — for there is nothing so disgust- 

 ing as dirt in a woman — her face was clean and bright ; 



