356 FINDING THE BEAR. 



On the succeeding morning the search was resumed, 

 though with no better success ; but in the afternoon, having 

 in the interim gone over much ground, and when in a 

 manner retracing our steps, we came upon the Spar of a large 

 bear of that no doubt of which we were in search. But 

 the tracks were not very recent, from which we inferred, as 

 was the fact, that owing to the noise made by ourselves 

 either at the bivouac, or whilst traversing the forest during 

 the preceding day, the beast had taken alarm and quitted 

 his den. 



Desirous of ascertaining from whence he came, we in all 

 silence followed his Bak-spar literally his back-track ; but 

 had not proceeded very far, when all at once the beast bolted 

 from beneath the root of a prostrate pine, and as it proved, 

 from the very lair that he had occupied in the first instance. 

 This surprised us greatly ; for after a bear an old one at 

 least has been once disturbed, he very rarely returns to 

 his original bed. It appeared that, after turning out, he had 

 made a little detour through the forest, when finding all safe, 

 he had once more gone back to his old quarters, "where, had 

 he remained, it is probable he would have escaped us 

 altogether. 



The dogs, which, whilst we were following the Spar, had been 

 coupled, were now slipped, and chase was given. But owing 

 to the denseness of the cover, the broken and precipitous 

 nature of the ground, and the looseness of the snow, we 

 could not come up with the beast. So after the chase had 

 continued for an hour or more, and the shades of evening 

 had set in, we gave it up, and retraced our steps to Brun- 

 berget. 



At an early hour on the following morning, however, Elg 



