about twenty feet as well in depth as diameter; they were covered over with boughs, leaves, &c. I am not quite sure if that plan is now adopted in any part of Scandinavia.

The elk, as I have remarked, is a capital swimmer. During the rutting season, in particular, he often crosses large rivers and lakes in search of the females. Mr. Garberg related a rather curious circumstance regarding that animal, that occurred in the vicinity of Gefle, a few years ago. A peasant seeing one of them take to the water, pursued him in a boat; he was armed only with a knife, and was therefore unable to kill the creature, until he jumped on his back, in which situation he cut his throat.

poor

CHAPTER XXV.

Bear Hunt.

ON Wednesday we returned to Aspberg, where we remained during the following day, as the dogs and ourselves stood much in need of repose.

On Friday morning, the 28th of March, Elg and myself started from that place, for the purpose of beating the eastern face of the range of hills where we had slaughtered the bear a few days previously; here the cover was in places remarkably thick and good, and, from some intelligence we had received, we thought it not improbable that one of those animals might be lying thereabouts. On this occasion, we took Olof and Henrik along with us, the latter being of course followed by his dog Passopp.

There had been a snow-storm during the preceding night, which continued at intervals during the whole of the day, and, in consequence, there was a good deal of snow in the trees. As

there were a few degrees of frost, and the day was dark and windy, our skidor ran very well.

On this, as on similar occasions, we formed a line, and beat the forest before us, in the usual manner. Thus we proceeded for several hours, without meeting with the bear of which we were in search; but we found a den where one of these animals had passed the winter months a year or two previously.

About one o'clock however, at which time it was snowing very fast, Passopp, who might be near a hundred paces a head of us, began to challenge in a tangled but rather low brake. Though, from the intervening trees, I could not at this time see the dog, yet, from his manner, his remaining stationary, and the little probability there was that he had met with birds, or other game, in such a situation, I more than suspected he had fallen in with the bear. I now lost no time in shaking my double gun out of its case, where, for my greater convenience, I had hitherto carried it, and of pushing at my best pace towards Passopp.

The spot where he was challenging was a small opening in the thicket. But there was nothing to be seen excepting a little aperture of less than a foot in diameter, in the surface of the snow, which was perfectly level, and near to which he stood furiously baying. This I of course instantly knew to be Bruin's lair, and I was also

very certain, from the manner of the dogs, for Paijas had now come up, that he was within it. Not caring to waste time, therefore, and having confidence in my gun, which was loose in my hand, I at once ran my skidor, one on each side of the hole.

On looking down this pit,-the snow on every side being nearer five than four feet in depth,—I espied the bear very snugly coiled up at the bottom. By this time, the animal had partly awakened from his nap, which had probably been of many months' continuance, and was beginning to move his head about, as if at a loss to know what was going forward. I now pointed my gun downwards between my legs, it being then in a perpendicular direction, and pulled the trigger; but, instead of splitting his skull, as I fully anticipated would have been the case, the piece, as illluck would have it, missed fire. This must either have been owing to the snow that was coming down, or the powder falling from the pan, in consequence of the position in which I stood. In another moment I drew the other trigger, though, unfortunately, with as little success, for my second, like my first barrel, also refused to perform its duty.

The bear had by this time roused himself, and was just springing from his lair, when Elg, who had followed closely in my rear, put my rifle,