40 
WILD NORWAY. 
half a minute; nor had I ever moved from behind 
the shelter of my original rock. The net result— 
nearly a ton of meat secured by less than three ounces 
of lead !—was gratifying to me, but brought infinite 
satisfaction to numerous humble Norwegian cots where 
fresh meat is all but unknown, but which were now 
set up in supplies for the winter. Not a morsel was 
wasted. It must be admitted that I had singular 
good fortune in thus getting a herd of deer, within 
shot, in a spot so intercepted with impassable ravines 
and lakes. I have no pretension whatever to being 
a crack shot with the rifle, but to kill six deer in 
almost consecutive shots—all (save the first) at long 
ranges and full gallop—is a good performance. Whether 
(as I fear) it arose from a merely passing “ inspiration,” 
or whether I may hope to do such work again, time 
only can show. And it is fair also to remember the 
wonderful power and precision of that beautiful weapon, 
the modern Express rifle. 
We now walked over the scene of operations. The 
big bull, which lay 88 yards away, differed from any 
deer I have ever seen. His broad neck and frame rather 
resembled those of a bullock in massive strength, and 
his weight, as near as I could make it out in English 
measure, was 450 lbs., or 32 stones.* He carried 25 
points (of which 9 were on the snow-scraper), and his 
* I give this weight with extreme diffidence, the means of 
weighing big game in wild countries being so very rough. To my 
eye, the beast looked like it , and the weight may be correct, though (if 
so) 32 stones is probably a record. The second buck, on a similar 
calculation, weighed 25£ stones. I am unaware if accurate records 
of the weights of Norwegian reindeer exist. In Spitsbergen the 
deer are a smaller race and scarcely exceed 22 stones. 
