Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-05-31
Old Siegel and His Son.
pY rmE MARQUIS or LonNr.

by THE MARQUIS OF LoRNE.
Many years ago, while making tour
through that beautiful tract of mountain
scenery in tue south of Bavaria known
as the Saltzgammergut, | stayed for Il
fortnight at Berchtesgaden. 1 spent
much of my time there in fishing for
grayling and in talking to the chamois-
hunters, with many of whom had made
acquaintance during previous visit.
used often to sit for hours listening to
their hunting stories, and on one occasion
hunted with them.
The mountains Immediately around
Berchtesgadcn are kept as royal
chamois preserve, and as the King was
expected to arrive shortly. none but his
Majesty's own ayers were allowed, dur
ing the time | was there, to disturb the
chamois.
| was, however, very anxious 10 have
at least one days snort, and arranged
with old Siegcl aud his son Franz,
chamois-hunterS whom had known for
some time, and ON whom could depend,
to have a ".agd" on the morrow. Sicgcl
persuaded Getting, friend of his, to
come with us.
We started early in the morning, and
after tniling for several hours up through
the dark pine woods. which became more
scant and scrubby the higher we went
emerged at last on the open snow
fields
We now separated Franz and Getting
made Il long detour 10 the left, while
Siegel and fastened on to reach some
commanding position above, in case any
'chamois were driven up. After an hours
more climbing, we halted on the top of
q precipice, which. shaped in the form
of crescent, made complete cul de
sac for any chamois driven up by our
friends below.
Wehad badly been watching ten min
utes when two channels appeared in
sight, bounding up the mountain side
and coming directly toward US. When
the foremost had come within range, |
fred and missed, as most men would
have done, firing as did at so small an
object from height almost perpendicu-
larly above it.
The beasts turned, and springing with
wonderful speed over the sharp rocks.
were soon ont of sight. fired n second
shot just MS they were disappearing,
and think / struck one of them, but it
contrived to get away, and we never
saw it again.
Siegel and ], somewhat crestfallen,
trudged on up the mountain. keeping n
sharp lookout OIL all sides, and hating
now and then to give the Others time to
overtake us.
Suddenly we heard, far down below
us, shot. and then all was again silent.
We were much surprised, rs it is one of
the first rules in this kind of hunting
: never, except when absolutely necessary,
- r.
course, to fire rifle, which scares the
chamois completely.
We knew that Getting and Franz, di-
rectly below us as they were. could not
possibly have seen IL chamos, rs our
shots must have driven them quito out of
reach. After minutes anxious listen
ing, we fancied we heard shouts, and
fearing we knew not what, called loudly
FRANKS name.
We then heard-and this time quite
distinctly voice OF Getting saying
"Come down come down. It's all over
Franz has shot himselfr'
Siegel and | were standing together
ankle deep in the snow. I glanced into
his face. and think shall never for
get the look of misery saw there. Be-
fore knew what he was about, he had
seized his ri.e. and presented the muzzle
TO his head, and was feeling with his
foot in q frenZied manner for the trigger
/ snatched the piece away Just in time !;
he did not try to recover it, but throw
ing himself on the snow, burst into n
most passionate. most eloquent torrent of
praise of his sons many virtues. He told
me what good son he had always been
to him, anxious to fulfil his slightest
wish.
: I at length succeeded in partially
soothing him, and in rousing him to ac-
ton. We scrambled down as fast as we
could, guided by Cuttings shouts.
1t was long time before we reached
them; to me it seemed an age. ac-
cused myself of being the author of all
this misery, and my anxiety was height
ened by the reflection that we were in
reality poachiDg, and we should very
likely, in consequence of this misfortune
get into trouble on our return.
We found poor Franz lying shot
through the back and in great pain
among stunted ''knie-holz"-a plant
something like our whinbush. 1t ap-
peared that he had, contrary to all jaeger
rules, carried his rifle capped, and that
in walking through the knie-holz, he
had stumbled and fallen, and his rifle had
somehow or other exploded, causing a
severe wound.
We stanched the blood as we'll rs We
could with our handkerchiefs, and then
held consultation. Getting said he
knew Of q oheist some nay off to which