368 THE THAW. 



a long time afterwards, and to this day suffers, I am told, 

 from his wounds. 



To return. As it suited the views of our new friends, as 

 well as our own, we agreed to join company. So after we 

 had all feasted on the more delicate parts of the bears, we 

 started off again in search of fresh adventures. 



We with reason anticipated sport, for elks and bears were 

 probably as plentiful hereabouts as in any part of Scandi- 

 navia. Very unfortunately for us, however, a regular thaw 

 set in on the succeeding day, and the snow, in consequence, 

 became in a miserable state for the Skidor. Owing chiefly 

 to this circumstance, the Chasse proved a total failure ; so 

 after wandering over a large tract of desolate forest, between 

 the great lakes Siljan and Wenjan, in which while we saw 

 neither human being, nor other habitations than untenanted 

 Shealings,and undergoing some hardship from fatigue, bivouac- 

 ing under the bare heavens, and scanty fare, we faced home- 

 wards the Dalecarlians for Gafunda, where they had taken 

 up their temporary abode, and Elg and myself for our Shealing. 



And we were glad to get back to it ; for although we 

 fared somewhat roughly here, our beds consisting merely 

 of hay, still, as we were protected from the falling weather, 

 to so much of which we had recently been exposed, we found 

 ourselves, comparatively speaking, in clover. We were now 

 well off also for provisions, our larder being amply provided 

 with game of several kinds. 



Though our efforts to recover the lost bear had hitherto 

 proved unsuccessful, and though we entertained the faintest 

 possible hopes of getting him on foot, we nevertheless deter- 

 mined, prior to departing from the hut, to give the suspected 

 part of the forest another trial. 



On the following morning, therefore, the search was 



