PAYING TRIBUTE. 203 



About half a minute sooner and the piece 

 of rock would have stopped our course quite 

 as effectually as it had done that of the moun- 

 tain stream. 



After this little incident we all three made 

 the best use of our legs in our anxiety to get 

 away from those beautiful rain-drowned crags. 



At the mouth of the glen we sta3^ed to pay 

 tribute to the owner of the grazing and sport- 

 ino; rio-hts of this district, and in answer to 

 Imat's shrill jodel, a wild-looking ruffian in a 

 linen shirt, no hat or boots, but hair and 

 beard enough to make amends for any small 

 deficiencies in dress, came bounding down the 

 rocks and through the stream as if he was 

 as much at home among the mountains as a 

 chamois. 



He was an old savage, too, but age did not 

 seem to have made him afraid of sharp rocks 

 or wet feet, and he was so grateful for the 

 quarter of venison which we gave him, that I 



