THE BEAST IS WOUNDED. 301 



turbance, Nalle suddenly rushed forth, and upsetting the 

 astounded man, though fortunately without injuring him in 

 any way, made off as fast as his legs would carry him. By 

 the time, however, that he had gone about one hundred and 

 fifty paces, Munter, who had the command of the hunt, 

 having put his gun in order, fired ; and as was afterwards 

 ascertained, actually emasculated the beast. Stung by the 

 wound probably, the bear halted for a moment, which gave 

 Persson the opportunity of saluting his hind-quarters with a 

 second bullet, on which he continued his retreat, and was 

 soon lost to sight. 



Munter remained on the spot to load, but the other men 

 pursued the bear. The snow, which was deep, would 

 support the Skidor but not the beast; and as Olsson was 

 the best runner, he soon left his comrades far behind. 

 After proceeding a few hundred yards, however, and whilst 

 following the bloody Spar of the bear, the latter suddenly 

 and most unexpectedly rushed upon him. The beast had 

 made a sudden double, parallel with his first track, and 

 had crouched in a thicket, in ambush, as it would seem, 

 for his pursuer. The onset was so sudden, that the man 

 had no time to fire; but he drove his gun crosswise into 

 the distended jaws of the brute, which bit the stock through 

 near to the lock, and then cast the barrel high up into the 

 air; and as Olsson had now no other weapon wherewith 

 to defend himself, the bear seized him with both paws, and 

 throwing him backwards on to the snow, inflicted many and 

 deep wounds on his head and face. Then turning the poor 

 fellow partially round, and placing his own ear to that of his 

 victim, he listened, for the purpose of ascertaining if there 

 was any life remaining. But when he remarked that the 



