230 SPOET IN NORWAY. 



tired of this sort of pastime, sneaked away growling 

 from his unpleasant companion. But it is not every- 

 body who gets off so easily. One sometimes meets with 

 people who have been frightfully wounded ; and it is 

 only astonishing that this is not more frequently the 

 case, owing to the reckless courage, almost amounting 

 .to carelessness, which they display in this chase, which 

 is generally carried on single-handed. "With the utmost 

 coolness does the peasant repair to the den where Bruin 

 is enjoying his winter slumbers, and crawl in unarmed ; 

 then when he sees two eyes sparkling through the 

 gloomy darkness, and has ascertained that the place is 

 occupied, and that " the governor " is at home, he crawls 

 out again backwards, fetches his rifle, which he politely 

 left outside the door, and creeping in again, takes aim 

 at the eyes, and slaughters the bear. 



A cow-boy once shot at a bear which he met by 

 chance with small stones, for want of better ammuni- 

 tion. On being asked how he dared to fire only with a 

 charge of small stones, " I never gave it a thought," 

 said the boy. And this is quite characteristic, for so it 

 is with the peasants ; they do many such things, which 

 might presuppose a lion courage wanting that mature 

 deliberation, without which true courage cannot exist. 

 They don't think about it. This is not deliberate 

 couraga Occurrences as those just mentioned happen 

 so naturally that they are but seldom known out of the 



