SANGUINARY ONSLAUGHTS. 465 



boys saw the wolf approaching, they shrieked out and fled 

 towards home. But they were soon overtaken by the beast, 

 who, rushing into the midst of them, seized the above- 

 named boy in his jaws, and dragged him over a Gardesgard* 

 and several stone walls. The children that escaped related 

 what had happened to his mother, who forthwith ran to the 

 assistance of her son. She found the wolf still grasping the 

 poor boy in his jaws ; but on her nearer approach he let 

 him go and retreated. The boy still lives, and bears visible 

 marks about him of the wolf's fangs. 



" Subsequently a wolf fell in with some peasants, who with 

 their sledges were journeying in company between Morshyttan 

 in the parish of By, and Forssby in that of Folkarna, and 

 attacked the rearmost of the party. The peasant seized a 

 stout stake and attempted to kill the beast, who with great 

 quickness evaded the blow, and cunningly getting behind the 

 poor fellow, renewed the attack. On hearing the cries of the 

 man, however, his comrades, who were in advance, came to 

 his aid, on which the wolf retreated. 



* The Gardesgard is thus constructed : Two Storar that is, stakes of ten to 

 fifteen feet in length, and of the thickness of a man's wrist, are, with the 

 assistance of a crow-bar, inserted upright in the ground opposite to each other, 

 and at about four to five inches apart. These double stakes are continued at 

 intervals of from three to four feet, the whole length of the intended enclosure. 

 The open space is then filled up with G'drdsel long bars, or strips of wood, 

 usually young pines split into two or more pieces, which are laid longi- 

 tudinally one on the other between the several pairs of Storar, until they reach 

 to about the height of four feet. And whilst the fence is being thus con- 

 structed, and to keep everything in its proper place, the Storar at about every 

 foot are bound fast together with Hankar, which word, as said, implies bands 

 of any kind ; but in its common acceptation Hank means a sapling, or small 

 branch of the spruce-pine, or other pliable tree, previously passed through the 

 flames to render it still more flexible. The nature of the Gardesgard will be 

 better understood by reference to the drawing, p. 490. 



VOL. I. H H 



