212 RIFLE AND ROMANCE 



swept smoothly down, to end abruptly in a sudden cliff of 

 black basalt. 



The beaters went back out of the mouth of the ravine, 

 led by the orderly ; while I shortly afterwards arrived at 

 the crest of a knife-like serrated spur, and scanned the 

 slopes and gullies spread out beyond. 



The pattt rolled down a boulder or two, but without 

 result, after which I thought I saw the bright rufous coat 

 of a barking deer on an opposite ridge, and took a long 

 shot at it. It turned out to be a bit of ant-hill, and no 

 deer ; but at the sound of the shot a black shaggy mass 

 emerged from a thin bamboo clump below me, two hundred 

 yards off, and, hurrying along the steep hillside, halted. 

 A "303 bullet struck close under him, and sent him off 

 with a startled gasp, downhill of course, in that headlong 

 fashion a frightened bear affects, while another close shave 

 increased his hurry. 



I ran along and down my ridge in time to see him reach 

 the level, and, turning sharp to the left, made all haste for 

 the next ravine, his woolly back humping along in comical 

 haste. By this time my haste was also comical ; but I 

 reached the level in about even time, leaving the patel well 

 in the rear. It was a most trying half-mile race, for there 

 were several deep-cut ravines to scramble across, and lat- 

 terly another climb to be faced ; but, though reduced to 

 a dog-trot on the flat of my feet, I got along, and sat down 

 rather suddenly on reaching the edge of the khora into 

 which old Bhdhi had disappeared. I then saw, from the 

 configuration of the ground, that the bear would proceed 

 up this narrow glen before slowing down ; so rose and 

 wearily trotted upwards to a yet higher point of vantage. 

 As I sat down again, there he was about as nicely 'cooked' 

 as myself limping along the opposite slopes. 



His actual progress past or away from me was slow, 

 because of the numerous gullies and little spurs he had 

 to dive into or skirt round, so I had ample time. Raising 



