O.UR FIRST CHAMOIS HUNT. 279 



of snow, down which we shot merrily, getting many a 

 roll, it is true, but merely laughing thereat, as every 

 tumble carried us the faster towards home, and at last, 

 safe and sound, reached the region of rocks and gravel. 

 As night closed in, we "found ourselves once more in the 

 little cabin, where we had passed the night before. A scanty 

 supper was dispatched with hungry quickness, and then 

 we stretched ourselves in the hay for a refreshing sleep. 



When we awoke in the morning, the sun was up. Oh ! 

 what complaints of aching from head to foot. Karl suf- 

 fered as much as either of us. The skin of our faces was 

 peeling off, as if we had been washing them in oil of 

 vitriol. However, a complete warming, and long-con- 

 tinued rubbing put us in walking trim, and we descended 

 the mountain, gradually leaving the region of winter for 

 that of spring. It- was still early when we reached the 

 bright meadows, the green of which was exceedingly re- 

 freshing to the eye. Early in the afternoon we reached 

 Dumpfen. 



The villagers had been greatly troubled about our sud- 

 den disappearance until noon on the day we had started, 

 and then one of the herd-boys informed them where we had 

 gone 1 . We were cheered, and complimented, and crowned 

 with flowers, for even among these people, ever so accus- 

 tomed to hunting among the mountains, killing a chamois 

 is at all times esteemed a great exploit. 



