Related article: at different times in the summer at various places ; for example, at Pass Griesen in the Leogang Mountains, and on the Brand' statt in the vicinity of Gastein; but none of them are of much more than local importance, and they are much less attended by the Pinzgau lovers of sport than are the two first mentioned, on the Hundstein and the Schmit- tenhoehe. No meeting has the celebrity of that last named. Not only do Pinzgauers from far and near take part in this Wrestlers* Derby, but the most renowned from other parts of Salzburg Land, and many parts of Tyrol, go thither to measure themselves against the champions. On the great day there is a veritable pilgrimage to the place of meeting, for all the inhabitants and great numbers of strangers take the deepest interest in the contests. For weeks before the event the chances of the various wrestlers have been the one absorbing topic of conversa- tion among their friends and Generic Amoxicillin / Clavulanate acquaintances ; they bet freely on their favourites, considerable sums being sometimes at stake. Old and young, men, women, boys and girls have for the time no thought, no interejst in life but the great event. The son or brother on whose prowess the village depends to maintain the reputa- tion won by his forbears will not fail for lack of advice and ad- monition. Strangers who happen to be in the neighbourhood do not miss the opportunity of witnessing the ancient games on the Schmit- tenhoehe. Thus it happens that, on the third Sunday in August, crowds of folk may be seen labori- ously climbing the mountain, up which, despite the glorious view obtainable from its summit, 6,455 feet above the sea, there is yet no railway. The ascent takes three or four hours. 2a BAILY S MAGAZINE* [July At the top there is an elongated plateau which is the time-honoured wrestling place, and none more magnificent can be conceived. It is no exaggeration to say that all the world produces no more superb stage for such an ancient meeting of a primitive folk than this. An incomparable panorama meets our gaze on all sides. In the South we see the snow-clad Buy Amoxicillin / Clavulanate Online tops of the Hohen Tauern, the whole chain lying clearly outlined before us, for on the Schmittenhoehe we stand just opposite the Glockner Group, the centre of the range. To the North and East we per- ceive all the jagged length of the Steinernes Meer, while beyond the green declivities of the Ursch- lauer Valley proudly rises the Hochkoenig amid never-melting snow. More to the North we see the gigantic summits of the Dachstein, and finally in the West the rocky Leogang and Loferer Mountains. At our feet lies the Zeller See, a gem among mountain lakes . Surely such splendour, such loveliness as may be seen here justify its name, ** the Pearl of Pinzgau." But a movement among the peasants draws our attention to the human element around us. Some elderly men, once the great wrestlers of their several villages, go aside to take counsel and decide the order and other arrangements of the matches. The principal duties of one of these men who officiate as stewards and umpires is to select the pairs of wrestlers, brothers, near relatives and inti- mate friends never being allowed to oppose each other for fear of begetting enmity. While the wrestling is in progress the elders keep the sharpest look-out lest anybody should offend against the Buy Cheap Amoxicillin / Clavulanate traditional rules. And woe to him who transgresses ! His pun- ishment is as summary as that inflicted by the old Vehmgericht, He is excluded, not only from all further participation that day, but is never again permitted to take part in a match ; nay, so sweeping is the sentence that the culprit becomes an outlawed wrestler, with whom none of his honest fellows will ever again deign to measure his strength even in private. So great is the fear of this drastic penalty that the most passionate exercises self-control, even when engaged in a desperate struggle against a man with whom he has been at bitter feud for years. Amoxicillin / Clavulanate Online Usually the judges allot a speci- fied time for each match, and if before that period elapses neither has succeeded in placing his oppo- nent, with both his shoulders, on the ground, it is declared a draw. He who has been defeated once does not take part again that day ; but each victor has to match himself against some other victor, and the process is continued till only one remains unvanquished. Naturally he becomes the hero of the day, while amid deafening cheers Buy Amoxicillin / Clavulanate the umpires declare him the ** Hagmeier," that is. Master of Field and Forest. As an out- ward token of his office they hand him a large white cock's feather, with which he at once proudly adorns his hat. This he is per- mitted to wear till the next meet- ing at that same spot on the same day in the following year. If, as often is the case, money prizes are offered, the ** Hagmeier " re- ceives the first, besides the cham- pion's feather. Of course he is immensely respected among the young men, especially if he suc- ceed in retaining his position again the next year. Should he be defeated then, or refrain from taking part in the contests, he loses both title and feather. But it not infrequently happens that L.HaidlHgtr,plul,>.\ Id.— A Decisivf »■' I900.] WRESTLING IN THE SALZBURG MOUNTAINS. 23 one young fellow retains the championship for four or five years in succession. Sometimes the wrestlers of one valley or village challenge those of another. Then each side puts four, six or more of its best men into the field, and that side is considered victorious which suffers the fewest defeats. Such matches are common between the Pinz- gauers or Salzburgers on the one side and the Kitzbuechlers, or