ADVENTURE WITH A BEAR. 49 



all but out of shot, or concealed by the foliage, before 

 one can take a proper aim. Such at least has been my 

 experience. 



When the Capercali are young, No. 4 or 5 shot, or even 

 smaller, answers perfectly well, but later in the year much 

 larger shot is requisite, as regards the old cocks. 



During the autumn, the proper season for the pur- 

 pose, circumstances prevented me from killing more than 

 an odd Capercali to the Fogel-Hund, under which cate- 

 gory came my own bear-dogs ; but in the winter, when 

 the snow lay deep on the ground, and whilst searching 

 for bears, I have shot a good many of those birds ; One 

 particular year, indeed, between forty and fifty, and of 

 these five in one day; for when the dogs found and 

 " treed " a Capercali, I not unfrequently substituted 

 small shot for ball, and stole upon the bird. 



On one occasion, however, this change of missiles was 

 attended with inconvenient consequences. Accompanied 

 by a peasant, I was traversing a very wild part of the Dale- 

 carlian forests, distant probably ten to fifteen miles from 

 the nearest habitation, when our dog suddenly challenged 

 loudly in a dense brake a little ahead of us. If dogs fall 

 in with a wild beast, I should remark, their bay is always 

 louder and deeper than usual ; but the dog in question 

 being all but a stranger to me, I was not well acquainted 

 with his voice ; and as we had recently flushed several 

 Capercali, I imagined it to be one of them, or a Hazel- 

 Hen, that occupied his attention. Leaving, therefore, my 

 man stationary, I made stealthily towards the dog, but 

 being equipped with Skidor, or snow-skates,* and as the 

 cover was very thick and the trees and bushes loaded with 



* Implements ten to twelve feet in length, bv about three inches in 

 breadth, described and depicted both in ''Field Sports of the North 

 of Europe" and " Scandinavian Adventures. ' 



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