ELK-HUNTING IN NORWAY 129 



and even our dull olfactory nerves had, for the last 

 100 yards of our approach, told us plainly of the 

 presence of a bull. The position was now exciting. 

 I could see a cow within easy range ; knew a good bull 

 was there, but could not see him ; and also knew that 

 a false movement or unlucky mistake on our part 

 might scare the game without any chance of a shot. 

 Presently I caught sight over a small pine-tree of 

 a palmated horn. The cow had fed into full sight, 

 and I did not dare to move, nor did I like to wait ; 

 and so, somewhat rashly, I fired through the tree 

 where I thought the body of the bull should be. 

 Through the smoke I saw a good bull gallop hastily 

 round the tree straight towards us, and then suddenly 

 turn and follow the cow, who had, of course, made 

 off. Whether he first intended to charge, then sud- 

 denly changed his intention in order to follow the 

 cow, I am unable to say, but his action looked remark- 

 ably like it. Just as he turned, my second bullet 

 caught him fairly on the end of the spine, and he 

 dropped, paralyzed, to the shot. A final bullet through 

 the neck finished him, as with hair erect along his 

 crest he rose on his fore-legs and made frantic efforts 

 to attack us. 



We found no trace of my first shot at him through 

 the tree. It had probably been deflected by a branch, 

 or was a clean miss. Low down in the flank we 

 found an old Mauser bullet wound. This, then, was 

 the monster bull from the neighbouring ground that 

 had driven Peder back to his farm, and whom we 

 had now evidently disturbed in his amours with his 

 mistress. A dissipated old ruffian of a bull he looked, 

 showing all the signs, to more of our senses than one, 

 of having recently led a riotous and dissolute life. 



9 



