NATIVE BELIEF. 377 



us well, and not knowing what the disturbance was about, had foolishly 

 stopped to listen. Eight and left through his ribs must have enlightened 

 him as he rolled over. He had severe wounds on his head from fighting, 

 which quite marred his beauty. 



The people on the rock shouted with delight, and some of low caste ran 

 clown to help us. Soondargowry (the elephant) had been got ready and 

 sent after me, and she now came and carried up the bear among rocks and 

 difficulties which would have been very troublesome without her. I ordered 

 the animal to be laid in an open space near the temple, as a mark of respect 

 to Billiga-runga Swami, the presiding deity of those parts, and that all the 

 people might have a chance of seeing it. My men, who were very jealous 

 of their master's reputation, explained to the people that the first shot had 

 not missed — none fired by their Sahib ever did — but had gone down the 

 bear's throat as it stood facing us, which accounted for the bullet-hole not 

 being visible ! In support of this they pointed to the blood issuing from the 

 mouth from internal bleeding. 



There is a common, but I need hardly say groundless, notion amongst 

 the natives of the jungle-tracts in Mysore, that solitary male bears will 

 carry off women should they meet them alone, and keep them alive. I 

 asked some of the damsels who were standing near, peeping shyly at the 

 bear and his slayers round the corners of their cloths, what they would 

 have thought of such a fate had this one waylaid and abducted them when 

 coming up to the temple. Jafi'er, who was always ready with some sally, 

 said he wouldn't mind being the bear in such case, — upon which they all 

 ran off laughing. 



I have shot a large number of bears in the Mysore jungles. "With 

 good trackers they have little chance of escaping, though some cunning ones 

 occasionally baffled my men and myself on many successive occasions. I 

 have, however, latterly hunted them entirely with dogs and a knife, which 

 is much the most interesting method of taking their lives. I propose to 

 give an account of this sport in the next chapter. 



