396 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



impossible to fetch the carcass out of the bottomless pit 

 into which it might have rolled. Bradler was watching 

 them too, but lower down. I saw him running for- 

 ward towards the brink, and knew by his manner he saw 

 a chamois somewhere within shot, and was just calling 

 to him not to fire, or to wait, when I heard the report 

 of his rifle. On reaching him he told me he had hit the 

 chamois; it was lying in yonder chasm, and he could 

 just see its head. I told him how foolish it was to have 

 fired, as he would not be able to get the animal after 

 all. 



" Not today," he said ; " it's too late, for I want a 

 whole day for that ; but tomorrow I shall come and fetch 

 him." 



" You intend to go after that chamois ! " I exclaimed, 

 not crediting I had heard aright. 



" Yes : I shall get down that place where you were 

 looking yonder, and when I have found the chamois, clam- 

 ber up again the same way." 



" Good Heavens ! you don't surely mean to try to get 

 down there ! Why, it is utterly impossible ; it is quite 

 perpendicular, and so crumbling you have nothing to 

 hold by. You can't do it \" 



" Oh, but I can," said he, laughing ; while for my part, 

 the mere thought of the attempt made me shudder and 

 disquieted me. 



" I only know," said I, e ' that were it my chamois, no- 

 thing should make me let you go for it, and I would 

 take good care too you did not. I should never forgive 

 myself for letting you undertake such a thing for me." 



But he went after the chamois quite alone, and got it 

 too, as I learned from the head-forester some weeks 

 later, though how is to me still an inexplicable marvel. 



In the six days I had been out at Scharnitz I had 



