232 THE LASSO. 



out, and with so much dexterity as rarely to miss the mark. 

 During the short time the animal is milking, the thong is 

 either held by one of the women, or made fast to a birch 

 shrub several of the thickest having been stripped of their 

 leaves, and left standing for this purpose. " Some of the deer 

 are very refractory, frequently even throwing down the 

 women, and butting at them with their horns, for which, 

 however, they care little. But strong as the Lapps are, they 

 appear to have little power over the deer ; for when it has 

 the lasso about its horns, and refuses to be milked, it will 

 drag the holder with ease around the fold." 



The skill acquired by these nomade people in throwing 

 the lasso, avails them at times in making captives of other 

 animals besides their own deer. " On one occasion," so said 

 a clergyman that I met with in Norrland, and who vouched 

 for the truth of the story, " when a Lapp, in company with 

 a young female, was driving the herd through the forest, 

 they accidentally roused a large bear from his winter quarters. 

 The girl, very fortunately, had the lasso in her hand, which, 

 with great coolness and skill, she threw over his head as 

 he was slowly quitting his den, arid at the same instant 

 coiled the other end of the thong around a tree. The 

 brute, on finding himself thus in the toils, dashed at the 

 intrepid Amazon ; but as she slipped on one side, he fortu- 

 nately missed his aim, and on coming to the length of his 

 tether was, in sailor language, brought short up, and thrown 

 to the ground. Bruin's career was now soon at an end, for 

 seizing the thong with his paws, and by so doing tightening 

 the noose, he presently managed to strangle himself. The 

 Lapp, on seeing the beast charge the girl, took fright and 

 ran away ; and as a consequence, the bold wench who was to 



