402 RE-RINGING THE CUBS. 



sected by beaten paths, where they were altogether undis- 

 cernible, the task was a most difficult one ; and it was not 

 until after the lapse of a couple of days that it was accom- 

 plished. Even then Elg was necessitated to take in so great 

 an extent of country that the Ring was not less than eight 

 or nine miles in circumference. 



From the then state of the snow, it would hardly have been 

 possible to kill the bears otherwise than by means of a Skall ; 

 and as properly to encompass so enormous a Ring as the 

 present, required a larger force than I could get together, I 

 drove in my sledge to Risater, a distance of about forty 

 miles, and obtained from M. Falk a warrant to call out the 

 requisite number of men. 



On the very day of my return to Lindforss, however, 

 we had a fall of snow ; before making use of my creden- 

 tials, therefore, we deemed it best to start the bears, and 

 to ring them afresh ; for the more the circle was diminished 

 in size, the fewer people would be required to circumvent 

 it. On the following morning Elg and I set out for that 

 purpose, and after the lapse of several hours succeeded in 

 rousing the beasts. Some six inches of newly-fallen snow 

 now covered the frozen crust, which enabled us to follow their 

 tracks with every facility; and had the weather been cold, 

 they might very probably have been run down ; but as, 

 owing to the mildness of the temperature, the snow so 

 fastened to our Skidor that we could only proceed at a foot's 

 pace, it was thought best to leave them unmolested. 



On the next day Elg ringed the bears, and in the 

 same line of country in which the old one had met her 

 doom. And as the present Ring was of small extent, and 

 time pressed, it was agreed that instead of a government 



