244 
WILD NORWAY. 
were struck by a quantity of liair scattered along the 
course; presently there was blood, and not much further 
on, the scene where wolves had that morning pulled 
down a reindeer-calf. Little remained but shreds of 
skin ; even the bones, except two hoofs, had disappeared. 
Then, a few miles further on, we descried to the right 
five reindeer, including three large bucks, feeding 
beyond a small loch. To have stalked and shot a 
couple of these would, we reflected, still barely put us 
level with the Lapps ; but our hunters strongly opposed 
any idea of so adjusting matters, and we rather 
reluctantly proceeded. 
We covered that day an immense area, each of us 
swinging with a cheek-wind on a homeward circuit. 
The forest was open and mostly deciduous—a perfect 
elk-country—and there blew a strong steady breeze 
that gave a three-mile scent. Yet not a sign did either 
of us see of game or recent spoor, and before we finally 
reached our boat after a fifteen-hours’ tramp, we had 
each separately decided that not an elk remained in 
that tract. 
Acting on this, we next day shifted camp to Muru, 
distant twenty-four miles, on the Swedish frontier. W. 
went with the horses, Bertie and I taking the hill. At 
first we “ played ourselves ”—driving the smaller patches 
of wood, where a few brace of blackgame or a stray 
caper-cock came bounce on the bent, or walking the 
bogs for a casual snipe; then pushing forward up the 
rising ground. On clearing the trees we fell in with 
grouse. A pack of five-and-twenty, rising wild, went 
forward : two others, wheeling back, “ becc-ed ” down 
above the ridge. These last we promptly gathered, 
