12 WITH CARL OF THE HILL 



that wolves had been seen in the district.* So it 

 was agreed that I should remain to do the gralloching 

 and mount guard over the slain, while Carl made 

 the best of his way back to the clearing, and to- 

 morrow he would come with the sleigh. But the 

 elk had fallen in an awkward position. Carl therefore 

 helped me to turn him about ; and not until I saw 

 him handling the colossal creature that had stood 



/BC — at the shoulder all sixteen hands, not till then had 

 I realised Carl's prodigious strength. And so Carl 

 left ; and with him went Rappe the wise and faithful, 

 while Talle, at his master's bidding, stayed with me. 



f^ It did not take long to gralloch the elk, and 



then it was time to think of supper. Fortunately 

 I was not doomed to eat a tough elk-steak, for Talle, 

 who while elk was in the wind had kept strictly 

 to business, now condescended to tree for me a 

 hjerpe or hazel grouse. I was afraid of smashing 

 it with an expanding bullet, but was lucky enough 

 to blow off its head, so that my supper did not 

 lose. The bird, plucked and stuffed with elk-fat, 



* I feel pretty certain now that this rumour was incorrect. 

 The fact that one stray wolf had been killed there the pre- 

 vious winter proves nothing. Thirty years ago wolves were 

 not infrequently found in severe winters as far down even as 



