186 SPORT IN NORWAY. 



all at once he found himself attacked by a huge bear. 

 They, however, gave Bruin such a drubbing between 

 them with stout poles that he was glad to run off. On 

 searching the barn they found a " hie " and two cubs, 

 one of which they secured. The other got off It was 

 about as big as a yearling calf. 



I think the best time, altogether, for hunting is the 

 early autumn, though at the same time the chance of 

 making a bag is not, as I have said, so great then as in 

 the spring. At this season, when the berries are ripe, 

 Bruin, who is uncommonly fond of fruit, and will devour 

 and spoil large quantities, may not unfrequently be met 

 with out in the open. " Or again, later on," my friend 

 informs me, " when the snow begins to fall, and when 

 the bears are thinking of retiring to their winter 

 quarters. I did once make an expedition of some days 

 in the snow in a part of the country where the bears 

 had been committing considerable damage ; but un- 

 luckily it was just too late (what a common complaint 

 this is among bear-hunters !) they had ' put up ' for the 

 winter, and a heavy fall of snow had obliterated the 

 tracks. In the course of my numerous expeditions in 

 summer-time after bears in Hardanger, Nordland, and 

 in other parts of the country, I have very frequently 

 come upon and followed fresh tracks for very long 

 distances ; but I could plainly see that, owing to the 

 density of the forests, the chances were at least 100 to 1 



