266 SHORT STALKS 



Leaving what was supposed to be the most likely fjeld to 

 the other party, accompanied by my cousin and a young- 

 farmer, I followed the track along the bottom of the valley 

 for some distance, hoping that fortune would send some- 

 thing in our way. The lower slopes were covered with a 

 forest of spruces, but between that and the sky-line there 

 was a considerable belt of rough mountain side, less densely 

 clothed, and which could be fairly well surveyed with the 

 glass. Each slope as it came into view was carefully 

 examined. At length we reached a little knoll, in the 

 middle of the valley, which commanded both sides. 

 Stretching ourselves on the soft carpet of heather, and 

 basking in the sun which was already high, we toyed with 

 our telescopes without much expectation, for it was now 

 nearly bear's bedtime. I was sweeping my glass rather 

 vaguely over the ground above us, when my attention was 

 arrested by the rounded back of some whitish animal, 

 feeding far up the mountain side. "A sheep," I said to 

 myself; but what should a sheep Ije doing up there and 

 alone too ? Besides it was too big for a sheep, and yet it 

 seemed too white for a bear ; but at that moment the 

 beast turned broadside and disclosed his proportions. It 



'Was a bear ! How B jumped when I told him ! But 



there was no question about it. He was plainly visible 

 to the naked eye — a great wallo2)ing whity-brown bear ! 



And now in a moment we were in a frantic state of 

 excitement. How to get at him ? It would take us fully 

 half an hour to climb up through the forest, and during 

 that time the animal would be concealed from us, and 

 might change his position or retire altogether. He was 

 evidently busy feeding, and had now reached a long flat 



