THE FORESTS AND SPORT OF SIBERIA. 167 



away as quickly as possible, just as if he thought that he had 

 played a naughty trick. Two Swedes, Aberg and Erland, were 

 hunting hazel-grouse on the Urals. The former approached a 

 bramble bush in the hope of raising a bird, when to his surprise 

 a huge bear jumped up and made for him at once. As flight was 

 impossible, Aberg raised his fowling-piece to his shoulder, aimed 

 at the bear's eye, fired, and was fortunate enough to blind him. 

 Maddened with the pain, the bear covered the bleeding eye with 

 his paw, roared loudly, and rushed on at the undismayed hunts- 

 man. But the latter coolly took aim at the other eye and fired again 

 with equal effect. Then he called for his comrade, and they fired 

 alternately at the blinded bear until he was dead. 



But the merriest tale had its scene in the village of Tomski Sawod 

 in the district of Salair. One of the peasants was leading a load of 

 cembra-cones through the forest, and did not notice that the cones 

 were falling out of one of his sacks. A bear, who was wandering 

 through the forest in the rear of the cart, crossed the road, and 

 finding some of the cones looked for more, and followed the track 

 unnoticed. After a time the peasant left the horse and cart standing, 

 and diverged into the wood to fetch another sack which he had left 

 filled with cones. But before he returned with his burden, the 

 bear, still gathering cones, had reached the cart and climbed into it, 

 there to feast to his heart's content. With no little dismay the 

 peasant perceived as he drew near what passenger had taken posses- 

 sion, and not daring to dispute his right, left him with the horse and 

 cart. The horse, becoming uneasy, looked back, recognized the 

 bear, and forthwith trotted off as fast as he could go. But the 

 undesired jolting frightened the bear and prevented him from 

 leaping off. He was forced to sit still and hold on, venting his 

 increasing discontent in loud roars. The roaring only served to 

 increase the pace; the more the bear stormed, the faster the horse 

 hastened to the village. Now the village-folk had been for several 

 hours expecting a visit from the bishop, and were standing at their 

 doors in holiday attire, ready to greet his reverence when he 

 appeared. Already sharp-eyed boys had been posted on the outlook 

 on the church-tower, with instructions to toll the bells when the 



