This bear made good his retreat from Svensson and his companions on this particular occasion, but some days afterwards they were fortunate enough to destroy him. He had near a hundred weight of fat about him.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Chase of the Elfdal Bear.

ON a second occasion I was also in some danger from another capital male bear: as in the last instance, I shall relate the particulars at length.

This animal was accidentally roused from his den, in the winter season, by some peasants who were felling timber in the forest, in the parish of Ny, in Elfdal; but after he had proceeded a short distance, he again laid himself down in the wilderness, for the purpose, doubtless, of reposing during the remainder of that inclement season; and here he was ringed, or encircled. This beast was supposed to be an old marauder, that for several preceding years had committed great ravages among the cattle in that part of the country; this being the case, his death was devoutly to be wished for, and those who had ringed him deemed it more advisable to get up a skall than to attempt his destruction by other means. Such being the case, information was sent to Mr. Falk,

who in consequence ordered out four or five hundred men.

I was present at this battue, which took place at about five or six miles to the eastward of Lindebohl; but as no circumstance of particular interest occurred, I shall confine myself to stating, that soon after the cordon was formed around the beast, and after several shots had been fired at him, he became desperate, and, dashing through the ranks, for that time made good his retreat.

After the bear had escaped from the skall, he made across the country, in nearly a direct line, about fourteen miles to the southward, and here he was once more encircled by the peasants. This intelligence was soon conveyed to Mr. Falk, who thereupon ordered out six or seven hundred men to form a second skall for the destruction of the animal. But prior to this taking place, the beast, either from disliking his new quarters, or from being disturbed, deserted them; when, striking through the forest in a north-easterly direction, he did not again lie down until he was within seven or eight miles of Ytter Malung, in Dalecarlia. As it was not very practicable, however, to get up a battue in that province, and as the point where he was now ringed was far too distant from the more habitable parts of Wermeland to collect a sufficient number of people together, the chances of destroying the beast by that, or perhaps other means, became very problematical.

From this cause, therefore, the peasants sold me all right and title to the animal, which they had hitherto refused doing, for a trifling consideration.

In the part of the country where the skall of which I have just spoken took place, there was very little snow upon the ground; but in the district where the bear was now ringed it was considerably deeper. From this circumstance I entertained great hopes that, by seizing a favourable opportunity, (the snow being then in too loose a state for the purpose,) I might be enabled to run him down on my skidor. Under this idea, I took up my quarters at Gästjenberg, the solitary residence of a peasant, situated to the eastward of Näsberget, and at some six or seven miles distance from where the bear was then lying. This was the nearest habitation to the beast, who was ringed in a very wild and savage range of forest called Tio mil Skogen, or the seventy miles wood; so designated from its extending that distance north and south, without, I believe, the intervention of a single house.

For several days prior to this period we had experienced partial thaws, the weather being unusually mild for the season of the year; but at last a slight frost set in. Thinking that the snow had now attained a sufficient consistency for our purpose, I took Elg and Svensson along with me, and set off one morning, at the first dawn of day, on my skidor for the ring.

Though during the time that had elapsed since the bear had been last on foot, much new snow had fallen, Bruin's tracks, in most places, were still very visible; on reaching the ring, therefore, which was of great extent, we followed them with all imaginable silence. This was not exactly under the notion that we should be enabled to steal upon the beast, before he was roused from his lair, as, from his having been already so much disturbed, we had reason to suppose he was far too much on his guard, to allow of our near approach, but that we might at all events have something like a fair start when he should bolt from his den.

Thus we proceeded for an hour or more; but our progress was slow, as in places the tracks of the brute were nearly imperceptible; and in others it was very difficult to distinguish the right one, in consequence of the doubles that he had made. Much snow had fallen during the preceding day, and a great deal was hanging in the trees. This was unfortunate for our purpose, for as there was only a degree or two of cold, and the morning was clear, by the time the sun rode pretty high in the heavens, the snow began to melt, and the water in consequence to drip from the foliage. Seeing this to be the case, and knowing that in a very short time the snow under foot would be in such a state as to render it impossible for us to make much expedition on our