up, and at last got up on to a bare fjeld leading up to higher mountains which had already got a slight sprinkling of snow.
I now got out my telescope and had a good look at the ground in front. Whilst doing so, Elias, who had gone a little way off, came running up. “ I have seen him, I think we shall get him now," was all he said, and, running down the other side of the ridge with him, I was just in time to see the bear about half a mile off, going slowly down a gully back to the upper edge of the forest from which he had come. We had to go round to avoid a precipice, and when we got down, Elias would not go to the place where we had seen him, but came below and down-wind of it, explaining to me that from the way the bear had turned, and the slow pace at which he went, he was certain he would stop soon; and that we must be sure and see him, if possible, before he saw us. Soon the dog began to smell before him, and we went on very slowly and cautiously in the forest, which was full of rocky ridges and very difficult ground. As we approached a low overhanging cliff with big boulders and bushes at the foot of it, Elias said quietly, “ If he wants to stop, that is a likely place.” We examined every yard with the glasses before going on. I could see nothing, but Elias said, “ Do you see that tuft of grass, it is not moving with the wind like the other grass, it goes backwards and forwards. I think the bear is there, and that is his breath. 55 So we went on till I got about twenty yards off, but could still see nothing. Elias then threw a stone, and the bear growled but did not show. So I sent him to get above the cave in the mouth of which the bear seemed to be lying, and see if he could roll a stone on to him to bolt him. As he went, he took out the little hatchet which he carries in his rucksack to cut up elk with, saying quietly, tl It is well to have the axe ready when a bear is near. 5 ’ I saw that, in case I did not kill the bear, he was quite ready to help me. Stones were rolled down, but the bear would not move; so I walked up to within three yards of the cave with my rifle ready, and at last saw the tip of his nose. When I spoke the bear growled, and as he opened his mouth I fired into it, and with a few struggles all was over. After a hearty shake of the hand with my dear little man, to whose experi¬ ence alone I felt sure I owed my success, we pulled the carcase out and found a full-grown she-bear in beautiful condition, with a very good skin and no signs of having had cubs this year.
Elias opened the carcase and took out the gall, which he said was con¬ sidered a very good medicine amongst the Lapps, and, after cleaning the inside, we propped it on its back with sticks to cool, as I intended to send a sledge to fetch the body next day. I found that my first shot had struck her high up in the haunch, and crippled her so that she could not travel fast, though she had gone at least six miles, and would no doubt have gone much further if she had seen us. It was then past three o’clock, and we started to make the best of our way home, which we reckoned was about twelve miles off as the crow flies, with a big lake to cross, or else a long way to go round. Luckily we took a good line through the forest and reached the lake just before dark, where I kept firing shots until a man came with a boat to fetch us across.
It was long after dark when I reached my friend’s house. He thought
