BEARS & WATER-HOLE SHOOTING 



at one end of my pool for mine, sending off some men to 

 cut sticks, whilst the others cooked some food. In the 

 meantime we went for a stroll and discovered a ruined 

 dagoba at one end of the rock, whilst a little farther on 

 was a " pokuna " or small square tank, now dry, probably 

 formed by taking out earth for making bricks for the 

 dagoba. On our return one of our Tamils said a bear had 

 come to the big pool, but had bolted at the sight of the 

 men. We did not believe him, as he was a bit of an ass, 

 and his statement was unsupported by the others, though 

 after events proved that he was probably quite right. My 

 stage was then built, and Tom and I both sat on it for a 

 bit whilst his was being constructed, but he left me very 

 soon to superintend the job himself. Shortly after he left 

 me, time being about 3 P.M., a small female bear and a 

 cub came walking out of the forest at the far end of the 

 rock opposite my stage, unnoticed by Tom and his men, 

 who were still building. 



They were coming down to drink at my pool, when the 

 old one seemed to suspect something wrong, sheering away 

 from the water out of my sight behind some jungle ; but 

 " baby " wanted a drink, and was fractious, making little 

 runs towards the water, recalled each time by an insistent 

 grunt from " mama." They then disappeared in the jungle, 

 and I called to Tom to tell him what I had seen, which 

 rather surprised him. 



Almost as soon as they disappeared a doe elk came 

 out between my pool and Tom's, but soon took alarm and 

 bolted. 



I should have stated that my stage and Tom's occupied 

 opposite sides of the main rock, and were about 40 yards 

 apart, each stage being visible to the other party. 



Just as Tom completed his stage and got settled on it, 



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