186 A SPRING AND SUMMER IN LAPLAND. 



then stand still snuffing up the air on all sides, 

 her large ears moving to and fro the whole 

 time. It was evident that she was totally uncon- 

 scious of the hidden danger that so closely 

 surrounded her, but appeared to be anxiously 

 listening for the beaters. What surprised me 

 most was that she did not smell me, for she had 

 a side wind. I had my gun on her three or four 

 times, for she presented a fair broadside, but the 

 distance was too great. She kept in sight of me 

 for nearly five minutes, when she moved slowly 

 on, right up to the next gun. She was soon lost 

 to my view, and I anxiously waited for the report ; 

 nor did I wait long. " Bang ! " " ping " whistled 

 the bullet close by me, from which I made a fair 

 guess that my friend had missed ; but what puzzled 

 me most was that there was no shouting, nor did 

 I hear the elk go away. Of course I could not 

 move from my stand till I heard a challenge, and 

 the few minutes that intervened between the first 

 and second shots seemed to me an hour ; at length 

 it came, and a crashing through the timber told 

 me that the elk was not down. She was evidently 

 coming right up to me, and I stood like a statue, 

 with my gun cocked to give her the coup de grace. 

 But again I was doomed to disappointment. She 

 came in sight in an open space about 600 yards 

 below me, evidently hard hit. She stood still for 



