THE TYROL. SCHARNITZ. 387 



where it abruptly ended there was the deep abyss. But 

 it must have been more frightful to look at than to do, 

 for dashing after him with my rifle in one hand and 

 swinging from branch to branch with the other, I was in 

 a moment at his side, and craning over into the chasm. 

 Down there stood the chamois amazed and bewildered. 



" You might fire now I" cried Bradler. But to stand 

 upright on that slope was impossible, and without a firm 

 footing 1 could not fire. 



" Quick ! lean against me I" said B — . " I 've got one 

 knee against this old tree-stump. I'm as firm as a rock ; 

 there's no fear, only lean !" And doing so, I fired straight 

 downwards, just as the buck was looking up to discover 

 what this hubbub could mean. " He's down ! Quick ! 

 There he is ! Don't you see him ? Close to that rock ! 

 Quick, another shot !" and I fired a second time. 



My companion from his eyry opposite was now, in his 

 turn, watching our proceedings ; too far away however to 

 take any part in the affair. 



" Now climb back carefully : only take care not to 

 slip," said Bradler, " and I will go round and get down 

 to the chamois." 



He soon returned. My first shot had entered just above 

 the shoulder, and the second, further forward, had passed 

 through near the neck ; that of my friend had merely 

 grazed the skin. The cause of the animal's lameness was 

 now discovered, a quite recent shot — fired by a poacher* 

 — had shattered the hind knee-joint ; yet notwithstand- 

 ing this the buck had been able to pass down the steep 

 rocks with unabated rapidity. 



We returned home, and an hour later my companion 

 came back, bringing a capital buck he had shot higher up 

 on the Bronnenstein. 



No keeper having fired a shot there lately. 



2c2 



