AN ELK SEASON. 161 



when a second bullet sent him rolling down the hillside. 

 He was quite dead before even Peder could reach him. 

 After eighteen blank days, to secure two bull elk in seven 

 hours ! And what a beauty this last head was ! The elk 

 stood 5 feet loj to n inches at the shoulder, and the horns 

 showed thirteen points, with a broad and handsome pal- 

 mation. As we stood above him both Peder and I agreed 

 that the blank days were at last atoned for. But the first 

 elk had cost us hours of unremitting pursuit, and we were 

 wearily tired. I have wondered since how we should have 

 managed that twelve long miles which lay between us and 

 home if, having at length met with the " vera bool," I had 

 failed in my shot and lost him. 



On the following day Peder and I drove over to Gartland 

 betimes, for since the luck appeared to have changed in our 

 favour we were determined to force it. In fact so early 

 did we arrive that it was not yet light when we turned our 

 cariole into the yard of the farm, and even the early-rising 

 Norsk farmer was not astir. Soon, however, we had un- 

 harnessed the horse and, having seen to his comforts, were 

 making the best of our way into the woods. Gartland was, 

 as I have already mentioned, the most closely-wooded 

 portion of all my ground, and in ordinary seasons these 

 pine forests undoubtedly hold elk, but during that partic- 

 ular year they were, owing to the extreme stillness of the 

 weather, very difficult to hunt. The light frosts of the 

 morning formed cat-ice in /every small hollow and cranny, 

 and as the cattle had been recently on the hillsj their 

 tracks were roofed in with white, so that in many places 

 almost every step we took was a clear advertisement of our 

 presence. 



On this morning, however,' the sun rose invisibly behind 

 heavy rain-clouds, and soon the wind was threshing and 

 moaning among the trees; I need not say how we wel- 

 comed this beautiful elk-hunting weather after the quiet 



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