ON THE MAMMALIA OF THIS DISTRICT. 191 



grub which, we picked out of the rotten fir bark 

 (a favourite bait for charr). My guide every now 

 and then kept throwing in handfuls of dead yellow 

 birch leaves on to the top of the water, to attract 

 the fish. They bit capitally, and I would have 

 fished on till daylight, but the wind rose, the moon 

 became obscured, and, as dirty weather seemed 

 brewing, we went back to the cottage. Early to 

 bed and early to rise, is the motto here; and 

 although it wanted nearly three hours of daybreak, 

 the household were astir. The hunters were up, 

 the hay cleared off the floor, and breakfast was 

 preparing. The charr I had caught proved no 

 bad addition, and we luckily got some coffee. 



It was about as nasty a morning for the forest 

 as we could well have ; a drizzling rain was falling, 

 and the fog was so thick that we could not dis- 

 tinguish an object at fifty yards' distance. But this 

 did not seem to make much impression on the 

 foresters. The elk must have fallen, and determined 

 they were to have it. However, they reckoned with- 

 out their host, for they never could hit upon the 

 lost trail again. 



As soon as I could see, I started back to the 

 lake with one of the watchers, to take up the long 

 line. The rest of the party went on in search of 

 the lost elk, and we agreed to meet by the side of 

 the lake, and dine off what charr we could catch, 



