92 INDIAN BIG GAME chap. 



in a whisper, but after listening carefully my 

 shikari said "No, it's a bear; be ready, it is 

 coming towards us." Fortunately the jungle 

 at the spot we had selected was so narrow 

 that no animal could pass without being seen. 

 I was tremendously excited, as so far I had not 

 bagged a full-grown bear, and I made up my mind 

 my chance had come. A few moments decided it, 

 and out walked a huge male bear within twenty 

 yards of me, a splendid broadside shot, and I let 

 him have it square behind the left shoulder. With 

 a fearful roar he seemed literally to roll out of 

 sight ; we waited a moment, but hearing no 

 noise went cautiously inside the cover and found 

 the bear stone dead. To say I was pleased was 

 putting it mildly, as to bag a bear within half an 

 hour of having left camp was quite unlooked- 

 for luck. Poor old Francis returned without 

 having seen a thing. 



On the 9th he and I went off together 

 in the direction I had gone on that memor- 

 able evening. We had covered about three- 

 quarters of the distance, when the guide drew our 

 attention to two bears coming along the face of 

 the hill towards us. We hastily arranged a plan 

 of action, which was that Francis should take the 

 front bear, but not until the other had come 

 into view. The bears came along quite un- 

 suspectingly, and we were both ready for them — 

 I with a 12-bore and Meade's shells, worse luck, 

 and he his D.B. -450 Express. Both bears came 

 into view, and as I was taking aim, bang went 

 Francis's rifle from behind me, which made me 

 jump, so I had to take aim again, the bears coming 



