THE HIGHER NARBADA. 361 



down from the bills above. Jumping on my pony, I 

 started up this nala at a rattling pace, scrambling and 

 sliding in a most wonderful manner over the stones, till 

 I again caught sight of the bears going leisurely about 

 two hundred yards ahead. I had gained about fifty 

 more on them before they saw me, and was just going 

 to pull up and fire, when they set ofi" at a shambling 

 gallop, which, owing to the badness of the ground, soon 

 left me far in the rear. Coming to a better place, I rapidly 

 gained on them again, but the hill was too near, and I was 

 full one hundred and fifty paces behind when they com- 

 menced the ascent. Pulling up, I administered my two 

 barrels with as much steadiness as my panting steed 

 would admit of ; the second shot told somewhere, as testi- 

 fied by the growls it elicited from the old *' she," but it 

 was too far for such a snap shot, and their movements 

 seemed to be only accelerated. Throwing my bridle 

 over a branch, I was reloaded in a few seconds, and 

 scrambling up in Bruin's tracks, I heard them above me 

 on the hill-side rustling among the dried leaves, but 

 could not get another shot ; nor did I find any blood. 

 This was very unlucky, for if I had had a suspicion of 

 there being bears on the hill, I would never have taken 

 up the position I did, as a bear would break back 

 through an army of beaters rather than take to an 

 open plain, where he has no stronghold to make for. 

 The bear is very sweet upon the " mhowa," and these 

 had evidently come down to feed on it ; for, had they 

 been regular residents, the villagers must have been 

 aware of it from seeing their tracks and excavations. 



The beaters, who had suspended operations to 

 witness the result of the bear chase, now resumed their 

 beating, while I rode slowly along the bed of the nala, in 

 case there might be any more of the family left. We had 



