The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-09
NORWEGIAN ELK HUNTING,

d
MALTA, wa. fully packed under the ,upsr.
vision OF the iudc'atgahle Mr.. who h,.
been styled the taCtOtum or trdyr Ing EutIisb.
men. l presume my reader knows wnr q
cafriole is; II not, the foIlpwlug short and
graphic description Of friend OF mine may ms
siby eniRh en- him "A carriolc is vehicle
licensed TO carry one in front, on two wheels
and no sprugs; resembles q yelocipcdc win q
dash OF ihc tPlder in it On q board behind rests
the pOftmantrHu, atop Of which the tskyfs.glt.'
or Iostbuyi pcrChes, while The rods. ruus' SIC are
sr1prcd WhecIlau,ousiy on the shafts. Ponto
occupying snug bed uudlrncah in "A sort of
bag VI
l had determined m investing In a carriole
under the advice OF an Hm'ablc gent oman re-, idiuy
az CuIlstlansand, who, 20 add to h, other ste r-
mug qualities, had been the iu.rOiucer uf-iudry
phllanthrupic Improvements to that town. and
was at the time taxing his auilirc, {, the
utmost TO procure for the pubic cheap and
huutous beverage In the shape Of porter
Dlewed without malt. He was very slnguiue
about u but have since heard that tls s,he ne
had Jailed, ANA that, attcra vain attempt To turn
INFO vinegar It was undergoing process
whereby 1t was expected % NUuI eventually Uo.
come bmckng. Possibly t might sIiuc Under
that name az last.
II quick travelling have n tendency 10 produce
INSANITY verify the NJrWcgaus Olglt to be the
Sauest OF all civilized people. IL took Il, three
long hours doiug the fOJty.tvO miles to Eid,yuId
ny he Norwegian Trunk Raj way--a mcmento
the late StephensOn's engineering skill. had
WIN me letter OF introduction 70 a BOndo
tarmer) iu Osterdal, VINO was to provide me with
guide aud pony TO the Swedish frontier where
report said bears, trout, reindeer, and elk
aDOunded IN their respective elements. Nv host
was welltO do man, aud very hO,pitable, l
must stay two days with him before setting out
lie wanted me to pay a visit 10 bis ",utcr" and
his pastor. In my simplicity, l thought "A 'spter"
had something 10 do with the clerical profession
but found It was a chalet on the mountains
where the cattle are seut during the summ,r A
bear had kiCd one of his cows the night before
ana he intended lying cut for it the next few
nlgh's would cone With him ?" | should
Tather tblnk SO. What lots OF pOmatum-pOts of
the real aiticle" | would take back rs prcs.pt5
TO my friends! So OF We starred.
IL was pretty sight to see the "sUtcr" girl Ut
wasn't she who was pretty leading out her cows
and goats to the pasture, aud singing TO them.
and calling them by name. Sometimes she won ii
run away from them, and then a hircl-poyine
steepie-chase ensued as to which would eaten
her, and the winner was rewarded with a lump
OF salt. The bowls full Of cream, and the cbccsps
were enough 70 make a LOnIOneI's mouth water
81 must taste them, said my host; and, without
waiting Tor reply, or even getting knife, he
stuck his finger into soft cheese and held il ont
TO me 10 take a bit off the end Of it,
1t was now getting late; so, loading both
barrels of my rifle, and also five of my revolver
followed him to the place where the remains
OF the slaughtered COW lay. Old Bruin must
half of it.
Reader, have you ever gone out bear.huut-
ing l strongly advise yOu-"DOnt!" unless
night without moving (or being able ~ SMOKEY
~ the open air, with swarms of mosuuitoes
eating you up. or course, l was not going 10 give
In. II my friend had lain there till now, so
would ; that is, supposing the mosquitoes had
left any Of me to lie anywhere. At last, to nv
Joy, after we had been six mortal hours on our
stOmachs, he got up and said we might rs well
go, as the bear would not come till tomorrow
night.
Next morning again we went out, aud this time
were more fortunate. As lay in my old place, |
stomach Hat on the ground, rifle up 20 my cheek |
L fancied | heard a heavy tread and a rustling |
about forty yards on the left. "If my heart |
would only leave off jumping in that absurd |
way, almost lifting me from the ground, | |
might get chance" Nearer il Came-nearer |
snll-till L thought | could see a great black |
object about twenty yards of through the low
scrub. SO l took aim and fred; and then we |
both got to our feet and could just get a glimpse
Oh dark substance making off down a raviuc. |
The bear was hit that was evident by the blood: |
but where, was the point. We saw no more of |
him, though we followed him up some hoars
But my host shot him a few weeks afterwards,
while was over the mountains; at least, he sup
posed II was the same, for it had recent bullet
wound in its fat haunch. | cannot describe how
this information relieved a lurking fear | had
entertained that | had shot one of my friends
heiiers. Such was my experience 10 bear-hunt-
ing, and fancy was luckier than most of my
countrymen are, for l got the credit of having
wounded bear, whereas am still inclined to
believe sent bullet into the haunch Of one of
my friends cows.
The next morning, after bidding adieu 10
mine host, i started across the Fields to the
Trysil river. II was a beautiful autumn morn.
ingj the fog still hung lazily round the noun
tans, but slowly lifted itself up like reluctant
stage curtain ia theatre. had stout little
mountain pony TO carry the "impedmenta," on
which could ride when L pleased; my guide
carried my rods, while | shouldered my rifle
thinking that reindeer migdt come in our way.
After two hours rugged accent, we reached
the open field. The scenery assumed the most
savage oesoate appearance | ever witnessed,
or desire to witness again. For miles around |
the ground was covered with nothing but an
unlimited supply Of reindeer moss, which impaired
"custard-mustard" sort of tint 20 the land
scaPe If a fellow feels out Of humor with civil
lied life in general, and humanity in particular
let me commend him 20 q week on the Nor |
Wegian fields. During the whole ride of ten
hours, did not see more than ten animated
OBJECTS (barring mosquitoes). One of these was
an eagle, which was soaring at great height |
above mountain lake, and which suddenly, as if
impelled by some instantaneous idea, discharged
Itself down the most perpendicular "header" | |
ever saw, right into the lake. 10 was ten |
seconds under water and then emerged with |
q large fish in its claws, with which il flew Off |
In triumph Subsequently, l caught several fish
bearing marks OF eagles claws on their backs, so
lhat the birds occasionally miss their fish, it seems
"a comfort for men.
The feeling of loneliness and sotariness ride !
the fields is calculated 10 produce on a mans |
nerves. especially If he be at all given TO hypo-
affections, can scarcely be realized.
What thing 10 fall down In a fit or 10 break a
leg, OF TO undergo any other such-like unplea-
santnesses 70 which flesh Is heir, in such dismal
place, far out Of reach Of human assistance The ,
reflection that the crows would come and pick
you over, or the gluttons gorge themselves on
your carcase, or the wolves worry each other
over you, might make nervous person ex- |
iremely uncomfortable. And this, came to the
conclusion, after deep meditation, must be the /
use OF mosquitoes. They keep travellers
thoughts from dwelling on such topics, and tax !
all his Ingenuity TO prevent them from eating !