270 
WILD NORWAY. 
miles in rear. But we had not a morsel to eat, and rather 
“ funked ” that long tramp in vacuo. Ere grey dawn stole 
through the pines we sent Ole to the Lapp hut, distant 
two hours, requesting them to supply us with bread, 
and to send word as early as possible to Grsesaamoen, 
informing B. of our predicament and retreat. At eight 
o’clock Ole returned with a loaf, and, having breakfasted, 
we set out eastwards across the mountains. Among 
minor troubles we found that the fire, creeping outwards 
among the pine-needles of the floor, had consumed our 
drying hose, and we had to fall back on the substitute 
of lining our boots with wet grass. Thus “ impeded,” 
we tramped for eleven hours over the stony plateaux of 
Hykel-fjeld, reaching Aune-vand at 8 p.m., and the 
sseter one hour later. Salted trout (though rather 
high) and hot coffee formed, by comparison, an Epicurean 
feast. 
Two days later, B., with Karen ever fresh, and our 
hunters, rejoined head-quarters in Muru, Johannes carry¬ 
ing the last elk-head (weight, 29 kilos = 65 lb.) over 
the whole thirty-five mile march. This head, though 
carrying twenty-two spears—the best, in that respect, 
that we have secured—was inferior in span (37 inches) 
and boldness of outline to others of fewer points. The 
type of head was that of an old beast that had 
probably, a few years before, carried a finer coronet. 
Of eleven bullets fired, seven had struck him. All 
these, however, were from the *450 Express, which (with 
copper-tube bullets) is rather a light weapon for such 
heavy game. I prefer the 12-bore Paradox for elk, but 
that gun had been completely disabled in a severe 
accident the week before. 
