The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-02-28
PKCHNAzI. THE CHAMOIs HUNTER

Irranslstsi for the Esg Eclectic Magazine from De
Late in the afternoon of an August day Their,
was gathered in front of the hotel upon the sum
| nit Of the Rigi, considerable group of travel
lers, who were engaged in surveying with grea
| interest thesmountain ranges around. There wa
| hardly q nation Of Europe which had not there
least one representative. There stood men will
military paletots and bristling mustaches, cast
ING herce locks about and often Selling theil
giasses-not telescopes, but those filed with the
renowned ktf'schtcasser-ovs which they nodded
their heads and growled that they oughtto have
had some Of that stuff in the Caucasus where there
were mountains too. Near these were Others with
open mouths and straw-colored whiskers, wrap.
PEG ~ checkered plaids, some looking through
spy-glesses, and others contemplating the land
scape with heads downward, through their own
legs, but in neither case uttering q single word
Scattered about were yivacious small men with
moustaches and chin-tufts, talking 80 loud that
sbey might have been heard over on the glaciers
and among them few black haired men muffi I'd
10 cloaks turning gloomy looks ia the direction of
Rome. Men from the north OF Germany were
there, from the Syree, the Elbe and the Pleisse,
nom the Weser and the Leine ; with others from
The south where the fancy had not yet seized them
TO build barracks and clap musket upon every
young mans shoulder.
al tell you it is just grand, and nobody can dis.
pute that. said comfortable looking Saxon to
his neighbor.
"DdntI tell you SOL And you said the Rigi
was nothing at all.'
We'll, yes. Anyhow, there are no glaciers nor
chamois up here.n
'But there is o capital tavern.v
"6till had expected quite a different affair.
Not trace Of glaciers nor of ohemOis ~
Il was Disappointing, both admitted. They ex.
peoted in Switzerland to have glaciers and cha
mos FOR their good money. and they began to con.
slider themselves swindled.
If body could only see one single channels on
their eonfouDded mountains ~ said the Leipzger,
sweeping the SUBMITS with his four thaler opera.
glass, bought especially for this purpose. COR IL
one could but catch sight Of chsmois hunter
Heaven knows, body might al least have hun.
ter for his money "
A long and deep sigh, and low ejaculation
"Ay, the gGnsen, the gdnasen ?n*-was heard
close at hand.
The Leipziger turned and beheld figure which
evidently belonged to the region, aud which pre-
sented the perfect picture OF an old battered and
weather-besten hunter. The setting sun lighted
him with its level crimson rays, and tinged his
whole figure, but especially his nose, with won
drous alpine glow. An old battered mo1ntaineers
hat with ragged feathers and chsmois-beard GOV.
cred his head and his stubby gray hair. His nose
by daylight iesembled sunset glacier, but in
this light il Furnished and glOwed with a radiance
that might have been seen far down the valley.
On the other hand, the mans eyes were of pale
sea.blue, and gl.mmered like two glaciers by
moonlight. A patched hunting,jsrkin leather
brseches and mountain shoes with s0les as thick
% nA6Oi pAolCu VIII HU1I .COI1-
pleted bis outfit.
He leased upon bis alpenstock and looked out
toward the sDoHicid5. Then STOPPING, be fixed
Q piercing gaze upon distant spot, and softly
couLtedto himself" Three-fonr- fVe-seven;
ay, az, over there on the Pechwspd; ay, az; the
gamsen! Ah-h !'-and he breathed q long. drawn
IiRb.
The ssxons had been watching him. The Esip.
ziger, following the direction of his gsncss, said
" Hark ye, friend you don't mean 10 say that you
see any cbamois up there! Hang me if have
not been watching that place with my glass the
" hole afternoon, and have not seen 50 much as
TAIL"
"Ay, ay, the gamsen,n said the mouutaineer
,gsin, as If absorbed in melancholy "reminiscences
The gamsen There! Look yOnder over the
PechH and, on the snow field there i-Seven-nine |
eleven There they go over the ridge There !" |
he seized the Leipziger by the coat collar, and |
pointed with his alpenstock toward q mountain |
lpon which the Saxon Immediately turned his |
ylsss. but saw nothing.
You loWlanders have moles' eyes, said the |
nountsineer. "There-now they are all over the |
ldge... Ay, the gsmsen. / shall never go after |
Eli p? Have you been chamois hunting in your |
inc ~ asked the Leipziger with sudden interest |
Hunting? I?n exclaimed the man almost con.
emptuously. i" was the most daring hunter in |
ii the mountains"
"hy dear sir, it is impossble.n erisd the Saxon,
canning him respectfully. "Hsye you shot /
lany?"
Aboutthree th1rsand lead, }" replied the hunter |
waiter Of the hotel here came up and asked /
they Wonld take supper or tea. He then turned
0 the hunter:
"Hey, PechnszI. you up heFe?n he said. and
SIS going on laughing. Step a minute" said
he SaxOns. "Hsve Us laYge bowl of punch |
lade; perhaps the hunter hFre will drink glass
nth us.n
The hunter had turned hi, ses.blue ewes uuon
he strangers when he heaTd the word bowl"
nd FAINT smile wrinkled his weather. beaten
ice. Bat now he again Fixed a melancholy look
n he distance, and softly bent his head 10 ac-
tpianoe.
Your name then is Herr Pechnazel.v asked
le LeipZieer.
my name is Nazi. From my last hunt thew
ave me the name of Pechnszi. Ay, the gamlen!
o You see the steep wall of rock no there that |
lis sheer for well on 10 three thousand foet? |
bere twhere the Two snow fields are yonder," he
i'd. pointing AZ the mountain where many |
ais OF rock and many snOw. fields were TO be |
en-. There ~ ee continued. There IA a fain. |
rk streak running down il which can hardly be
en- through SPY glass. That is the Pechwand |
iNcls tcdAl which takes its name from me, and | |
ON il Rm CALEB PechDazi. / climbed up there |
my last hun. Ughl it makes my flesh creep
think Of il -
A shudder ran through the mans whole frame.
2 hesiily turned his eyes from the mountain and
Ted them upon the hotel. The Ssxons begged
m 70 come in and tell them his adventures on | ,
e PeChwand, over glass OF punch. AS the
\ bad now set, the company went into the house ,
q all seated themselves esPectantly around the .
inter-, who upon the arrival of the punch began | :
SNUFF the fragrant steam. He quaffsd a deep | !
aught, end then began with heavy sigh: :
- Az, the gamsen, they have broken many q !
ms leck, and mine very nearly. had mar | I
W escape Of it the last time, and since then | | l
We quit the high mountains and come TO the !
q, which is Reasonable sort Of hill. OF course
ere ere places where body can break his neck ;
be wants to but up there in the high moun- Il
rs, at the PechHand, It's a miracle how any
c can escape breaking 1t. =
You might not think it to look at me- but such =
you see me. l was the most daring hunter in all !,
D mountains, and lived in winter the whole year =
ind, for in the winter season was down in the =
lleys in the snow, and in the summer Chamber. Il
among the glaciers and snow up there. Well, -
en was up in the neighborhood Of the Pech. y
I'D, came upon the tracks Of herd of gam. Il
q that nearly drove me out of my senses, II
/ never could find out their feeding. -
ice. Al tracks stopped at the Pechwand, as If :
J gamsen had vanished into the air. Up the :
u they could not possibly get for the rocks are =
solutely perpendicular, aud no ledge tower than :,
eniy feet; leap which no cams could possibly u
Ike.
!. SO was sitting one day in the tavern in the 8
ley, looking at the mountains when saw the | :,