MELURSUS "DIABOLICUS" 105 



extraordinary escape that befell the writer on an occasion 

 when he found himself fairly in the clutches of one of these 

 black, hairy, yelling brutes is too tempting to pass by. 



As has been hinted at, there was a time when he held 

 but scant respect for Melursus ; but up to that date it had 

 not been his privilege to make acquaintance with the sub- 

 family " diabolicus" 



It was during a singularly ill-chosen expedition to a 

 certain district of the Central Provinces that once bore a 

 great name as a hunting-ground that camp was pitched 

 not far from a rocky range of sandstone hills named 

 " Chitra-Katra." Thither the writer found himself riding 

 out at dawn one morning in the merrie month of May. 

 The men had gone on overnight, and were to watch the 

 hillsides from before daylight for the bears which I was 

 assured I should find. 



I should hasten to make it plain that, owing to domestic 

 and parental responsibilities, my methods of shikar have 

 to be tempered with a due regard to the avoidance of a 

 too intimate or personal acquaintance with wild beasts in 

 their live and kicking state. A " foot " shikari^ of the tree- 

 and-rock-roosting species, I had hitherto gone scatheless 

 through numerous episodes some tame, others exciting 

 all, happily, without harm to any of the people accompany- 

 ing me which had imbued me with a cocksureness that 

 ordinary prudence was all that was required to justify me 

 in assuring those anxious for my welfare that no risks 

 could or would be run. 



On reaching the foot of Chitra-Kdtra hill at sunrise, a 

 distant whistle and vigorous beckoning brought me scram- 

 bling happily to the top, where I was informed that a 

 large she-bear with a cub had been seen ascending the 

 hill, and that she had, just before my arrival, disappeared 

 behind some rocks half-way down the hillside. Creeping 

 along, I met the other shikari, and was joined by two of 

 my own men with rifle and gun. 



