CHAPTER THE LAST. 419 



The following incident, that occurred a few years ago 

 near Brannenburg, will show what daring and reckless- 

 ness of human life these feuds inspire. 



One of the keepers, while out on the mountain, saw 

 three Tyrolese cross the Inn. He at once suspected 

 what was their intention, and instantly set off for a pass 

 among the rocks, where, if he were right in his conjec- 

 ture, he knew they would surely come. For an hour or 

 more he waited, without hearing or seeing anything of 

 them. At length however he espied the poachers ad- 

 vancing up the mountain, and, keeping close to avoid 

 being seen, let them approach. The place where he 

 stood was a narrow path, with rocks rising on one side, 

 and on the other a precipice. When the men were at a 

 short distance from him, he stood forth and called to 

 them to lay down their rifles. As they did not obey, he 

 shouted that, cowards as they were, lie would lay down 

 his, and challenged them, if they dared, to do the same 

 and come all three of them armed only with their poles. 

 They did so, and the three advanced upon him. Calm 

 and collected, he watched his opportunity, and, as they 

 approached, thrust his iron-shod pole two inches deep 

 into the breast of the foremost man, and sent him top- 

 pling down into the abyss. The others, terror-stricken, 

 sprang back to seize their rifles, but the keeper was too 

 quick for them : he had already grasped his own, and 

 levelling it threatened to send a bullet through the first 

 who should dare to raise his weapon. There was nothing 

 left them now but to retreat ; and as they did so the 

 keeper fired at one, sending a charge of coarse shot into 

 his back and wounding him badly. 



The keepers, on the other hand, well know that, should 

 they fall into the power of their enemies, the retribution 

 will be terrible. An instance of this sort was told me 



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