TRACKING THE WOUNDED STAG. 365 



we did so ; taking care to carry the cracked pipkin with 

 us, for my coffee ; for here nothing was to be had for 

 cooking but the usual iron frying-pan. In this Franzl 

 made a savoury mess of the chamois liver, and, with 

 some potatoes brought up from the valley, we had a per- 

 fect feast. The table was hardly larger than the frying- 

 pan which was placed upon it, but still it was a table ; 

 and as we sat round the iron vessel, all eating out of it 

 at the same time, the additional comfort of such a piece 

 of furniture was indeed most enjoyable. 



I had almost forgotten, however, to speak of something 

 we had here which was really a great luxury, — a light. 

 There was a small oil-lamp, throwing out as much bright- 

 ness as a rushlight ; and by thrusting a lath into the cre- 

 vices of the wall, 1 made a bracket just over our supper- 

 table, on which the lamp was placed. The reader may 

 think this a mere trifle : however it is not so ; for it is 

 inconvenient to be obliged to carry always a lighted piece 

 of pine- wood aoout with you, or to hold it in one hand 

 while with the other you eat, if desirous of not taking 

 your meal in darkness or twilight. To sit there, in the 

 fullest sense of the words, " at table," with a lamp to 

 light us, was in truth as much as the most exigent could 

 require. We were very comfortable ; my only fear was 

 that the little tin lamp might suddenly tip over and 

 tumble into our frying-pan. 



I went out again, but was unable to get a shot ; there- 

 fore after five days' absence I returned home. 



