122 MAMMALIA OF INDIA. 
“‘ Well, as I was saying, I was sitting at my pass, and thinking o’ my old 
sweethearts, and the like o’ that, when a’ at ance I heard a terrible 
stramash among the bushes, and then a wild growl, just at my very 
lug. Up I jumps wi the fuseein my hand, and my heart in my mouth, 
and out came a muckle brute o’ a bear, wi’ that wee towsie tyke sitting 
on her back, as conciety as you please, and haudin’ the grip like grim 
death wi’ his claws. ‘The auld bear, as soon as she seed me, she up wi’ 
her birse, and shows her muckle white teeth, and grins at me like a 
~ perfect cannibal; and the wee deevil he sets up his birse too, and snaps 
his bit teeth, and tries to grin like the mither o’t, with a queer auld 
farrant look that amaist gart me laugh; although, to tell the blessed 
truth, Maister Charles, I thought it nae laughing sport. Well, there was 
naething else for it, so I lets drive at them wi’ the grit-shot, thinking to 
ding them baith at ance. I killed the sma’ ane dead enough; but the 
auld one, she lets a roar that amaist deeved me, and at me she comes 
like a tiger. I was that frighted, sir, I did na ken what to do; but in 
despair I just held out the muzzle o’ the fusee to fend her off, and I 
believe that saved my life, for she gripped it atween her teeth, dang me 
o’er the braid o’ my back, and off she set, trailing me through the bushes 
like a tether-stick ; for some way or other I never let go the grip I had o’ 
the stock. Iwas that stupefied I hae nae recollection what happened ° 
after this, till I found mysel’ sticking in the middle o’ a brier-bush, wi’ my 
breeks rived the way you see, and poor old ‘ Meg’ smashed in bits— 
de’el be in her skin that did it.” 
Poor old Jock M‘Phee! On the whole he did well to escape with 
but injury to his garments. I have seen several men mauled by she- 
bears ; one of them was scalped and torn to such an extent that it was 
a long time before he recovered ; and I always marvelled to think he got 
over it at all. 
The British soldier is rather fond of a bear cub as a pet; and Captain 
Baldwin tells an amusing story of one which followed the men on to the 
parade ground, and quite disorganised the manceuvres by frightening 
the colonel’s horse. In 1858 I was quartered for a time with a naval 
brigade ; and once, when there was an alarm of the enemy, Jack went to 
the front with all his pets, including Bruin, which brought up the rear, 
shuffling along in blissful ignorance of the bubble reputation to be found 
at the cannon’s mouth. 
Although as a rule vegetarian, yet this species is not altogether free 
from the imputation of being a devourer of flesh when it comes in its way. 
In such cases it possibly has been impelled by hunger, and I doubt 
whether it ever kills for the sake of eating. I have known even 
ruminants eat meat, and in their case hunger could not have been urged 
as an excuse. Mr. Sanderson mentions an instance when a Barking 
Deer he shot was partially devoured by a bear during the night. 
