338 TRAGICAL EVENT. 



brakes as it was in such places the bear was most likely 

 to harbour. We were somewhat inconvenienced by the 

 sleet, and the continual dripping of water from the trees 

 and bushes ; especially as respected the guns, which, in 

 order that they might be in readiness for immediate use, 

 were divested of their customary leathern cases, and the 

 locks of which we were therefore obliged to cover with the 

 skirts of our coats. For a time nothing was to be seen ; 

 but at length a cavity in the face of the knoll in question 

 attracted our attention. It was evidently the work of a 

 bear, and we were at first in hopes that it was tenanted ; but 

 this, on closer inspection, proved not to be the case. 



The beast thus burrowing was, however, a good augury. 

 The Finnish Chasseurs, indeed, when late in the autumn they 

 fall in with a burrow of recent origin, look upon it as a 

 pretty sure sign that the bear means to take up his winter 

 quarters in the vicinity of the spot. Thinking, therefore, 

 our bear might not be far away, we persevered in the 

 search ; and, as likely spots to shelter him met our eye, 

 we kept zig-zagging about the same knoll. At first we 

 took a southerly course, but after a time wheeled about 

 again ; and though keeping rather lower down the emi- 

 nence, we, in degree, retraced our footsteps. 



Whilst cautiously looking around us, our expectations of 

 seeing the bear constantly on the stretch, and my gun at 

 the time being on the full-cock, I suddenly caught an 

 indistinct glimpse of a large dark object amongst the trees 

 on the rising ground above us. It was at a distance, as it 

 seemed to me through the sleet and mist, of a good gun- 

 shot; and though stationary, so to say, it moved. Not 

 doubting that it was the bear, I, in almost the twinkling 



