EUROPEAN BIG GAME 157 



between two ranges of mountains, the terrace's top as level, 

 and its side as accurate, as if made and turfed by a landscape 

 gardener, the only difference being that it was about two 

 hundred feet high. Behind it we could see mountain after 

 mountain, their sides and summits, broken and jagged, ex- 

 tending far away. The ground between the terrace foot (from 

 which, as from the bowels of the earth, a little river ran brawling 

 to the lake) and the margin of the lake was covered with a 

 dense forest of birch. This we passed through, and making a 

 wide detour down wind, we climbed a hill behind and over- 

 looking the top of the terrace. When we arrived there we 

 saw on the top of the terrace some curious circular basins, 

 all containing water. Their diameter would be about two 

 or three hundred yards. A strong stream ran into the right- 

 hand basin, but there was no apparent outlet to any of them. 

 Doubtless the water from these basins fed the subterranean 

 stream that issued from the foot of the terrace. All round the 

 basins, and extending for some distance from the margin of 

 the water, was a rank and luxuriant growth of giant angelica. 

 Far down below us we could see with the glasses a magnificent 

 reindeer feeding— a runaway from one of the tame herds, no 

 doubt. We had a capital place, the wind blowing straight from 

 the basins to us. Keeping a sharp look-out, we discussed some 

 smoked salmon and bread, and had hardly finished it when 



uddenly a bear appeared, waddling with his quaint, slouching 

 gait to the edge of one of the basins, where he began to 

 feed greedily on the sweet angelica. I slipped down at the 

 back of the hill, leaving my little party to watch him from the 

 top. Getting quickly under cover of some birch-trees, T 

 descended, silently crept up to the edge of the basin, and, 

 peeping from behind a bush, saw him about 150 yards away, 

 but his head was towards me ; so, wishing for a better 

 chance, I crawled back, and, making a circuit, got up again 



• ithin eighty yards. This time his side was towards me, and I 

 oOt a steady shot from behind the bush, aiming behind the 

 shoulder. The bear sprang up with a loud roar, and, looking 



