CHAPTER XI.

The Alpine regions, like most other mountainous countries,have their fair share of legends. The wild huntsman’s yell isstill heard in many places by the shuddering peasant as hisphantom-train sweeps bv the ch&let. There is also the wildgoatherd, a wicked lad who crucified an old he-goat and drovehis flock to worship it: lightning consumed him, and now hewanders for ever over the Alps, miserably wailing. When theglacier of Getroz burst, the arch-fiend himself was seen swim-ming down the Rhone , with a drawn sword in one hand anda golden ball in the other; when opposite to Martigny hehalted, and at his bidding the waters rose and swept away partof the town 1 . A vast multitude of imps was seen about thesame time on a mountain in the Val de Bagnes by two mendi-cant friars from Sion, who hearing of this' unlawful assembly,had gone out as detectives to learn what mischief was hatching.Many places also have their spectral animals; the Valais , accord-ing to Tschudi, being the head-quarters of these legends. Thereare also pygmies to be seen in the lonely mountains like the

1 Quarterly Review, Yol. Jtxn. p. 302,