ounced
that he had "ringed" a black bear. It was welcome tidings; and the
young Russians at once proceeded to the indicated place.

It may be necessary to explain what the man meant when he told them he
had "ringed" the bear; since that is a phrase of specific meaning
throughout the countries of Scandinavia. In these countries, when the
track of a bear is observed in the snow, it is followed up by the person
who has discovered it, with the intention of "ringing" the animal--that
is, ascertaining as near as maybe, the locality in which it may have
halted from its rambles, and lain down to rest. Of course, if the
person thus trailing the bear be a hunter--or if it be a party of
hunters actually engaged in the chase, they will keep on until they have
found the bear in his den. But in nine cases out of ten, bears are not
pursued in this fashion. Generally, their haunt--whether temporary or
otherwise--has been ascertained beforehand, by some shepherd or
woodcutter, and a party of hunters then proceeds to the spot, and makes
a surround of the animal before rousing him from his lair.

This "surround," however, has nothing whatever to do with the "ringing"
of the bear, which is an operation of a different character, and is
performed by the party who has first chanced upon the tracks. The mode
of proceeding is simply to follow the trail, or _spar_, of the bear as
silently as possible--until the tracker has reason to believe that the
animal is not far off. This he discovers by observing that the _spar_
no longer trends in a direct line, but doubles about in zigzags, and
backward turnings, upon itself; for when a bear intends to lie down, it
is his habit to quarter the ground in every direction, precisely as does
the hare before squatting in her form.

Many other animals observe a similar caution before going to rest.

The bear-tracker having reached this point, then leaves the track
altogether, and makes a circuit round that part of the forest within
which he suspects Bruin to have couched himself. This circuit is of
greater or less diameter, according to circumstances--depending on the
season of the year, nature of the ground, and a variety of other
considerations. While going round this circle, if it should be seen
that the track of the bear leads beyond it, then that "ring" is given
up, and another commenced further forward. If, on the other hand, the
tracker gets round to the place whence he first started, withou