The Columbus journal., 1908-10-14

enjoyed any amount OF experience IN
bear hunting, mainly throughout Fin,
nish and Russian Karelen, where
have accounted for over a score or
more Of these fascinating beasts. My
hunting in Finland and Russia has al
ways been in winter time. The most
.pleasurable hunting trip that l can
recall was one carried out on ski. The
starting-point for this, as for most of
my expeditions, was the little village
of Snojarvi, situated on the lake of
the same name, IA Swedish (S4 Eng
lish) miles to the east of Wartsila,
in Finnish Karelen.
+: At dawn We left the village and
:traversed the Ter part of the dis
lance in sledses. Then on ski we
came to a dense thicket wherein our
bear was surmised to have slowed
himself away for his long winters
map. 1t had been ascertained that he
had taken up his quarters on BRAT"
Ii. e.. above ground, on a bed made
of moss and twigs with the trunk
of a fallen tree to roof him). Capt
Bjorkenstam and l volunteered to
MAKE our way into the dense brush
wood and have a look round. l was
a few yards ahead of my friend. when
my eye was arrested by the sight of
some dark object protruding from
beneath the shadow of a pine. l
grasped the fact with some tumu!tu-
Gus humping of the heart-for I was
serving my novitiate- there
the object of our call. l halted: our
visit was unexpected. unprepared for.
and the gentle soul might shyly de-
camp. Hastily l took aim and fired.
My bear as hastily vanished. melting
away with phantasmal precipitalcy
into space. / ran to the charmed spot
where he had lain and searched eager
ly for CORY traces that might show
my bullet had not been misspent.
No trace was visible, but a plowed
furrow through the snow indicated
the direction he had taken. The long
fur of his coat had been my undoing
and my bullet had flown too high. I
followed holly in pursuit with Bro
berg at my heels, and a memorably
exciting race followed. At last, on
a more sparsely wooded tract, where
we could increase our speed con-
siderably, We sighted the broad back
of the runaway some yards ahead of
us. A grand spectacle he presented,
this great black furry object, floun-
dering with heavy tread through the
pure white snow, against the vast
shadowy background of stately pines
in their wintry dress. l opened fire;
the beast growled savagely. shook
himself painfully, yet doggedly pro-
ceeded on his course of retreat: then
my second bullet laid him prone His
chase had lasted just three-quarters
of an hour.
Another bear had lodged himself
for the winter in cave made by
himself in the bowels of mother earth
and under cover of a huge PROSTATE
pine. After locating him. l gave my
foresters the order to halt. and pro-
ceeded alone. Advancing cautiously.
so as not to disturb his slumbers. I
hesitated some moments over the fall
en- tree trunk. for round and about
its roots I noticed the snow was dis
colored and of brownish hue. I
guessed this to be the ventilator and
my coming by repeated shouts. but its
occupant made no sign. l thereupon
called one of my men and babe him
fell a young tree. and use 1t as q stake
to stir up the sluggard. A formidable
roar was the immediate result of
these tactics; out rushed the land
lord of the besieged premises with an