120 BEAR SHOOTING 



topped the range and swallowed up the stars one by one. 

 The gradual approach of the storm appeared to me like a 

 nightmare, as I lay in a half-dreamy state watching. The 

 big drops came at last, hitting hard and viciously the 

 waterproof under which I was tucked, my faithful umbrella 

 over my head — and lo ! it was over in five minutes, leaving 

 me snug and dry between my blankets. The storm had 

 passed on, and the stars were again peeping out at its 

 lower edge, slyly winking at the blustering monster that 

 had roared so loudly and done so little. 



A man I secured in the village to show me " bearish " 

 places told me of a bear which had been rolling in the 

 shallow of the stream the day before, and I hoped he 

 would not intermit his tub to-day; but he came not, 

 though I dozed in the forest for four hours waiting for his 

 arrival. At last I started up and climbed beyond the 

 limit of forest, to the undulating grassy slopes below the 

 crest of the range ; I saw nothing, though better ground 

 for bears could not be imagined. Camped in a grove of 

 pines and birches, Sharafa was slow, sluggish, and dull ; 

 he said that last night, when the thunder and lightning 

 came, he started out of bed, thinking the rifles were getting 

 wet, and so caught a chill. He always posed as a very 

 delicate creature, racked with pains and aches in every 

 limb and organ. The condition of his head, his ears, eyes, 

 back, and legs were all brought to my unsympathetic 

 notice at various times during the trip, but he received 

 little comfort and less medicine. He was getting a bad 

 fever once, and my quinine bottle would have been soon 

 emptied but that the happy thought struck me to make 

 him take his dose in my presence : two doses cured him ! 

 Though his ailments failed to touch my heart, the coolies 

 were thereby greatly moved ; and their sympathy, displayed 

 in little kind acts, was very soothing to him. To give 



