mois cross the valley in the direction of our intended beat only half an hour before we entered it.

Our landlord was not one of the despairing kind however, and, as the mountains refused us a chamois, he determined to beat the woods for a roe; and accordingly one of the jägers was speedily despatched for some hounds to help the sport. In the mean time the snow-storm continued, and our first care was to seek shelter. Luckily a favourite resort of the goatherds was near at hand,—a huge block of granite forming a natural cave, under which we all crept without difficulty, and lay much at our ease. The jägers in the mean time employed themselves in lighting a fire, and preparing for their lunch. A bit of schwamm, or German tinder, kindled by the flint and steel with which every peasant is provided for lighting his pipe, and placed in a handful of dry moss, was soon fanned into a flame by being moved quickly through the air; and this having been placed under a living tree, a dwarf pine, inflammable from its turpentine, and the dry spots on which it grows, soon blew up into a goodly blaze. The hatchet-headed walking-sticks were then put in requisition; - I do not know whether I have mentioned before that all the peasants of the north of Hungary carry sticks armed at the top with a small hatchet-head, which I had previously considered only as an ornament, or to be used in defence, but which were now more usefully employed ;-and a dozen similar trees were soon felled and added to

438

A SCENE IN THE CARPATHIANS.

the fire, raising a glorious blaze, which set wind and snow at complete defiance. The scene was most picturesque : the rude figures of the jägers, relieved against the fire as they lay enjoying its warmth, or

toasting their bits of bacon on its embers,—the masses of rocks reflecting the bright glare,—and, beyond, the blasted pine, and the sharp outlines of the mountain masses now covered with snow, formed a composition worthy of a Salvator’s study.

THE JÄGER'S TALE.

439

The bottle of Sliwowitz was not forgotten, and, as it passed from mouth to mouth, it seemed to loosen the tongues of those who pressed it, and our companions soon became talkative. They were Germans from an adjoining village, — Lomnitz, Schmöcks, and many villages in this neighbourhood, are peopled by German colonists, -and united two professions which to us would appear rather incompatible,—they were fiddlers and huntsmen! They had been engaged at a wedding feast in the service of Apollo all the previous night; but, when Diana's much-loved summons called them to the woods, fiddles, clarionets, and all, were hastily cast aside, the rusty rifle was thrown gaily over the shoulder, and without sleep or rest they hastened to obey the welcome invitation. Every one had now his tale to tell and his joke to pass. This one had shot a chamois at an unheard-of distance, the other had tracked a wounded roe I know not how far or how long: but the tale which the jägers took most delight in narrating, was of a wood-ranger and a bear, the incidents of which had occurred only a few weeks previously, and the scene of which we had passed in the morning. As the ranger was quietly pursuing his usual rounds, with his gun unloaded and slung carelessly across his back, he came upon one of those little green glades in the forest —- so still, so beautiful, they

. must be the chosen temples of the sylvan deities !

where a fine young bear stood just before him,

440

THEIR QUESTIONS ABOUT ENGLAND.

busy at an ants' nest, whose treasures he was mercilessly rifling. As Bruin turned round to see who was the intruder on his feast, the trembling ranger unslung his piece, and, hastily loading it, discharged it close to the bear's nose. What was his surprise when, instead of beholding the beast stretched at his feet, as he expected, he saw him quietly trot away unharmed !- what was his shame when it struck him, that in his fright he had forgotten to load his piece with anything but powder! Long and loud did the jolly jägers laugh at the wood-ranger's cowardice.

As the conversation became free, they asked us many questions about England, and were very anxious to know something of our peasants,- how many days' robot they worked, — how they lived, — and what taxes they paid? I assured them that our peasants lived better than they did, — for they had told me that potatoes and bread was their ordinary fare, and a bit of bacon a luxury; but that they worked much harder to gain it.

“But English peasants don't labour so many days for their lord as we do.”

“ Nor have they each a portion of land, as you have."

“ What! no land ?-how can they live then ?”

It was no easy matter to make them understand the system of landlord and tenant, workman and employer, as existing with us; so closely was the idea of Bauer and Bauerngrund (peasant and pea

sants' land) associated in their minds. When I told them of the wealth of our farmers, and of their respectable station in society, and at the same time explained to them that they had no right in the land they occupied, and might be dismissed at will, I believe they thought I was romancing. Nor were they less surprised to hear that the women commonly stay at home when the men go out to work; for they confessed that their own wives did much more than themselves, and that they belaboured them heartily if they did not obey their orders. For the credit of England, I did not mention how terribly the husbands are henpecked with us, for fear they should think too lowly of them ; of which, I believe, there was some danger, when they heard of hard work and no land.

But the hounds had arrived, and the old huntsman blew his huge cow-horn, and summoned us to the field. The pack was composed of two couple and a half of coarse harriers, which were intended to aid in beating the wood, in giving notice of the direction the game took, and in bringing it back to the place from which it had first broke cover. As for the hounds killing the game, that was

, never dreamed of; the guns were intended to perform that office. The old huntsman with his hounds started off to the extremity of the wood, while we were directed to take up our places at certain points where the game would be most likely

I was directed to the highest point:

to pass.