146 SPOET IN NORWAY. 



miniously off, and goes growling off to lick himself. It 

 must be a strange sight to see." 



Such is a sketch of the account "Wangeheim gives ; 

 but I should be sorry to vouch for its correctness. 



If a herd of elk discover a bear in their immediate 

 neighbourhood, they are the challengers, and at once 

 boldly advance to give battle. Lucky then for Bruin if 

 he has time to clamber up a tree, from whence he 

 can safely and calmly "look out upon his pursuers." 



The wolf is by far a more dangerous enemy to 

 the elk than the bear. For Bruin is safely stowed 

 away in winter quarters, sleeping and sucking his 

 thumb, at a time when the elk is less able to defend 

 itself than at any other, viz., when the snow lies deep 

 on the ground. But a single wolf never ventures to 

 attack an elk alone ; and even supposing that one were 

 to succeed in getting firm hold of it by the loins, its 

 weight would not be sufficient to prevent the animal 

 from rushing off through the forest, and giving him 

 a rougher ride than he had bargained for. It is princi- 

 pally the young calves that fall victims to these rave- 

 nous animals. 



In hard and severe winters, when the wolves con- 

 gregate in packs, the elk suffer most from their depre- 

 dations. But even then, so greatly do they stand 

 in fear of the awful kicks, that it is only when reduced 

 to the last extremity that they will venture to attack a 



