THE ELK IN NORWAY. 145 



boughs, and moss, and pays daily visits to his larder 

 till there is none of it left. 



"Should the elk, however, discover the approach 

 of its adversary, instead of seeking to save itself by 

 flight it prepares for the battle. Fear is probably 

 the cause of this, and not pugnacity. With its long 

 legs it is capable of lashing out tremendous blows, 

 which require all the activity and dodging Bruin 

 is capable of to avoid. It not unfrequently happens 

 that the bear gets such a ' oner ' over the ear as 

 to make him cry ' peccavi,' and to ' ficher le camp ;' for 

 at the best Bruin in Norway is a cowardly beast. I 

 have been credibly informed that a herd of cows, in 

 a part of Saetersdal, gave a bear which had approached 

 their pasture ground on the mountains such a tre- 

 mendous drubbing, charging at him simultaneously on 

 all sides with their horns, as to make him change his 

 offensive intentions, and execute a 'strategic move- 

 ment' on the shortest possible notice. But should it 

 happen that the bear is able to avoid the deadly kicks 

 and get alongside his prey, he deals the poor elk such a 

 tremendous blow on the head with his powerful fore- 

 arm, as to knock him out of time altogether. Some- 

 times he will even spring on his back, when the 

 affrighted animal at once dashes off, wondering who the 



is on his back, through the midst of the forest, to 



the great discomfiture of the rider, who slips igno- 



