260 DISAPPEARANCE ACCOUNTED FOR. 



puzzled to know what had become of a bear under these 

 circumstances. The case was this : 



A Shall* on a considerable scale took place under my 

 guidance, at some distance from Ronnum. The Hall 

 was posted across a narrow strip of land, between two 

 extensive lakes; and as the breadth of the lakes near 

 to the pass in question was not considerable, boats were 

 placed at intervals on the water, to prevent the quarry from 

 escaping us by swimming. Owing to unforeseen delays, it 

 was all but dark before the Dref reached the spot where 

 the Skall was to terminate, by which time the boat-parties, 

 fancying the hunt at an end, had, contrary to express orders, 

 retired from their several stations. The consequence was, 

 that on our arrival at the margin of the lake, a badly- 

 wounded bear, that had for some time been retreating 

 before us, plunged headlong into the water, and though 

 twelve or fourteen random shots were fired at him in the 

 gloom, he, to our great mortification, effected his escape. 



Though on the following morning I narrowly searched the 

 opposite shore of the lake, which was somewhat rocky and 

 hard, no track was to be found of the lost bear ; and had I 

 not afterwards waded along the banks of the lake, and 



* This word has various significations. In the sense used by me, it implies 

 a number of people acting in concert, and engaged in the chase of wild 

 animals. There are two kinds of Skall the Dref -Skall, and the Kn'dpt-SkalL 

 In the former, the Hall, or stationary division, is placed in position at a 

 particular point in the forest ; whilst the Dref, or driving division, which at 

 the commencement may be at many miles distance, beats the country towards 

 it ; or it may be, that where the object is merely to scare wild beasts, or to 

 rouse them from their lairs, there is no Hall at all. The Knapt-Skall implies, 

 on the contrary, that before a single person is allowed to advance, a line of 

 circumvallatiou is formed around the part of the forest intended to be hunted. 



