164 HUNTING CAMPS. 



therefore the final day of the season, so, accompanied as 

 usual by Peder and Bismarck, I was off early. Until late in 

 the afternoon, when Bismarck found a family of elk, a bull 

 and two cows, in some very thick forest, the hours passed 

 quite without incident. 



But once the elk were found there ensued the usual long 

 effort to get a shot in the thick timber. For nearly half an 

 hour we were close to them, and it is possible that had there 

 been any wind I might have obtained a chance, but in the 

 intense stillness the victory fell to the great beasts, for, 

 although at one time within fifty yards, I never caught a 

 glimpse of them, and finally at the cracking of a twig they 

 made off with all the honours of war, for their escape was 

 chiefly due to the strategical position in thick cover that 

 they had taken up. 



We had followed their tracks until we found that the 

 elk had crossed the Elstad boundary and sought sanctuary 

 in the lower pine forest beyond. We used all that was left 

 of the daylight in a barren search, at the end of which only 

 five hours of darkness remained of the hunting season of 

 1905, and there was nothing for us to do but to trudge home 

 to the farm. 



As I walked behind Peder along the forest paths I 

 reviewed the closing season. On the eighteen elk-rights 

 which I had leased I had actually seen four bulls and thir- 

 teen cows, as well as on three occasions a blur of moving 

 iron-grey coat to which I could not assign a sex all things 

 considered, a not inspiring total ; and yet I am convinced 

 that my rights were good and the comparative absence of 

 elk was due to the peculiarity of the season, for the warm, 

 fine weather had been continuous and had lasted much 

 longer than usual. On this account the elk had lingered 

 later than is their custom on the edge of the high fjeld, in- 

 stead of, as in ordinary years, seeking the shelter of the pine 

 forests. It was not until the last two days of the hunting 



