84 RIFLE AND ROMANCE 



sounded again, louder, and faintly rustling ; and was now 

 located on the face of the sloping terrace about three hun- 

 dred yards away a slow, gentle 'crash crash' of heavy 

 animals wandering about in the dry leaves. Pigs perhaps 

 bears just as likely. The little path is now deserted for 

 the grass land, and gradually, silently, we approach the 

 foot of the bosky slope. Still that steady soft crashing 

 and crackling half-way uphill in the black shadow of big 

 trees. Then we begin to pick our way gently under the 

 woods step by step. 



At length the sounds in the carpeting of dead leaves 

 appear to come from under the large mhowa tree now only 

 about thirty yards distant. We cannot get much nearer, 

 for every step we have taken has made some slight rustle 

 in the fallen leaves, and each time the invisible eaters of 

 mhowa have stopped their foraging to listen suspiciously. 

 Of what can they be suspicious ? Tigers and leopards do 

 not attack bears ; man is never abroad in the jungle at this 

 ghostly hour of the night. Perhaps, however, the appar- 

 ently still air has slowly wafted them a suspicious whiff! 



Then the snuffing and stirring recommence. Under the 

 mhowa tree it is dark and dim, but out of its immediate 

 shadow patches of moonlight fall on the thin grass and 

 leaves covering the ground, and after a long silence a 

 greyish patch is seen to emerge and point in our direction. 

 Slowly it is followed by a black but indistinct mass, and 

 the bear, as now we can tell it to be, turns its broadside and 

 stands snuffing discontentedly. Behind it in the shadows 

 there is yet more heavy crunching and chewing among 

 the leaves ; its companion has evidently found something 

 tasty underneath their covering. Then number one moves 

 a step or two forward, and the moon's rays illuminate the 

 hairy ridge of his back. 



There is very little light under the trees, and the white 

 card of the night sight seems difficult to find. By 

 moving the rifle muzzle up and down, however, something 



