THE SKALL. 277 



and as no time was to be lost, it was therefore deemed 

 best to beat up for volunteers. 



The following day happening to be Sunday, notification 

 after Divine Service, was given in the usual way from the 

 pulpit, in the several neighbouring churches, that a Skall 

 was to take place on the morrow, and requesting the 

 peasants to aid us in destroying the bears ; and as an induce- 

 ment they were promised not only refreshments when the 

 Chasse was over, but a ball and supper for themselves and 

 families in the evening. 



At ten on the following morning, the appointed hour, we 

 proceeded to the rendezvous a road-side pot-house, nick- 

 named Pung-Vrangaren, implying that purses were here 

 turned inside-out : by no means an inappropriate designa- 

 tion, considering the scenes of gambling and drinking 

 that, according to report, frequently took place beneath 

 its roof. 



But on our arrival, we were much disappointed at finding 

 that our alluring promises had only brought together about 

 one hundred and twenty men ; and as that number was 

 considered inadequate, it became a question whether the 

 Skall should not be postponed until a future day. As, how- 

 ever, nearly all the people were armed in one way or other, 

 and a considerable portion say a fifth with guns, it was at 

 length decided that operations should commence forthwith. 



At Skalls it is usual to station the larger portion of the 

 individuals armed with guns at the Hall, that being the 

 point wild beasts commonly make for in the first instance. 

 But having observed that if foiled here, their future efforts 

 are more usually directed towards the Dref, I have always 

 thought it best to distribute the guns pretty equally through- 



