to be a large bough floating on the water about
half a mile ahead of the boats, only that it was
moving almost as quickly as the boats were.
But Hans soon enlightened me, and with a sprinkling
of genuine Norwegian ejaculations, which
would look rather profane if translated literally,
pronounced that the bough was an elk, and that
the boats were in pursuit of it.

"Now shall we see a bit of fun; each boat
belongs to a different farmery" (so he always
called a farm-house), "and if one of them shoots
the elk you will see such a race as never was!"

"But why shouldn't we try and bag him,
Hans? We have our rifles. He is coming
straight towards us; and I would gladly give ten
pounds to shoot an elk. Down Carlo! Don!
down sir," and we all hid ourselves behind a
large rock. "You would give ten pounds?
Good!" I heard Hans soliloquise, but took
no notice at the time of his remark.

Meanwhile, the animal was rapidly approaching,
evidently unconscious of any danger in the
front. Nearer and nearer he came, straining
every nerve to distance his pursuers. The
shouts and gesticulations of the men in the
boats, each trying to outstrip the other, and the
anxiety of the elk to reach the shore, were quite
equalled by my intense fear lest the boats should
get the first shot.

"Now look you," whispered Hans, "he is
making for yon point; he will stop half a second
to shake the water off him directly he is on land.
That is your time!"

"Good!"

The elk was now about a hundred yards off
land. The leading boat was not more than a
hundred and fifty yards behind; and two of the
men in the bows were already standing up, rifle
in hand, to let fly the moment the animal set foot
on land. There was no time to be lost.

"Now look! he can feel the bottom."

The next moment I sent a bullet in behind
the shoulder at forty yards, and the huge animal
rolled over in the shallow water, splashing and
struggling in the agonies of death. Quick as
thought we rushed down to the spot, and dragged
our quarry out of the water.

Meanwhile, the first boat had reached the shore,
and we were soon surrounded by half a dozen
savage-looking fellows, who, to judge from the
way in which they spat and swung their arms
about and shouted (one of them cried with
passion), were cursing us by all the Scandinavian
Gods. Presently the other boat came up, and
there were now at least a dozen spectators, all
of whom seemed to be in a furious state of excitement.
This was rather alarming, and I turned
round to speak to Hans to ask him what we had
best do, when, to my horror, I could not see him
anywhere. Where had he gone? He was close
by me not a minute ago.

"Cowardly brute," I muttered, "to leave me
among such a lot of savages," who, to judge by
their looks, seemed ready to kill me. However,
he was gone, that was certain, and I had only
myself to rely on. Calling Don and Carlo
close to me, who did not at all approve of the
presence of so many strangers, I determined to
take it coolly; and, quietly lighting my pipe,
proceeded to flay my elk.

Whether it was that my friends thought me
and the dogs dangerous, or whether my coolness
puzzled them, I know not; but after staring at
me a long while, for they found it was useless
to talk to me, and after they had ejected the
most prodigious quantity of saliva conceivable,
they went off in sullen silence, and rowed back
over the lake.

"Good!" I thought; "and now they have
gone, I dare say Hans will crawl out of his hiding-place."
I felt convinced he had sneaked
somewhere under cover. "Hans! Hans!" I shouted.

Sure enough I heard his voice some distance
off, and in a couple of minutes he appeared, out
of breath and in a tremendous heat.

"It's all right," he began.

"All right! Yes! I dare say you are all right.
But to go and leave a fellow in the lurch like
that! You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
Why, it's a wonder I'm not murdered and stiff."

"I've only been to the 'Foged' (magistrate)
and laid an information against you for having
shot the elk. It's all right!" replied Hans,
smiling.

This was too much! I might have looked
over his desertion, but to go and turn informer
was cowardice of the most unpardonable kind!

Hans all the time had been laughing with
delight; but, seeing that I was seriously angry,
asked me to listen to what he had to say.

"Go on, sir," I said, in a dignified manner.

"Now, my good friend, did you not see one
of the men slink off directly the boat came
ashore?" I shook my head negatively.

"But I did! So that's your game, is it?
Two can play at that, thought I. For you see he
was off to the Foged to lay information against
us. Now, I can't afford to pay twenty dollars
if you can. Besides, as I am a candidate of
theology, I didn't want to see my name in all
the papers as a poacher. So I ran up to the
'station,' borrowed the man's pony, and set off,
full gallop, to the Foged's house. Before I had
gone half way, I saw my friend running along in
the same direction as hard as he could. He did
not recognise me till I came alongside, when,
pulling off my hat, I shouted, 'Shall l give your
compliments to the Foged.' He knew me then,
and seeing the game was up, turned back. So
I rode on, and told the Foged how that you had
shot an elk, and how that I was very angry
about it, and thought it my duty to lay an
information against you."

And Hans enlightened me as to the law
relating to elk which I have already mentioned,
and of which I was then ignorant.

"My best Hans," said I, "I beg your pardon,
but I really thought you were a humbug!"

"Of course you did. The Foged will be here
directly, so I must play my part. Don't be
angry if I abuse you soundly."

Before long, up came the said functionary,
looking quite as important as I do on bench
days, and began to write down the depositions.