A FALSE ALARM. 57 



steady shot at the point of his shoulder rolled him over, 

 to all appearances lifeless, and Rahman, in a state of 

 excitement whipped out his knife, and rushed forward to 

 take off the skin. He was a little premature, for, when 

 we were within two or three yards, the bear suddenly 

 struggled to his leo-s, and very clearly showed that he 

 did not mean to part with his hide just yet. But a 

 bullet through the side of his head finished him off, and 

 he fell on his face, stone dead. 



"The bear was a very large male, and on skinning him 

 we found my first shot had broken the hind leg high up,' 

 which luckily prevented his travelling faster than ourselves, 

 or we certainly must have lost him in the thick jungle. 1 ' 



The next two days we worked hard trying to get a shot 

 at the barasingh Alan saw the day we arrived, but without 

 success. These low hills are covered with deciduous trees, 

 whose dried leaves are now lying a loot thick on the ground, 

 and, however carefully one picks one's way, it is impossible 

 to avoid making a noise which can be heard a quarter of a 

 mile off. Yesterday evening whilst I was sketching, there 

 was a scrunching and rustling of withered leaves on the 

 hill behind me, which I thought must be occasioned by a 

 bear at least. On investigation, it turned out to be a 

 little jungle fowl, which, light and small as it was, could 

 not help making noise enough for an elephant. 



