226 Incidents of Foreign Field Sport. 



a favourable bit of ground, I turned on my foes, and 

 wounded one badly. They still kept together, and 

 made one or two determined rushes at me, when 

 having both received severe hurts, one of them made 

 off as hard as he could. I stuck to the other, and 

 after a hard fight, and spearing him some half-a-dozen 

 times, I at last sent the steel right through his heart 

 and rolled him over dead. There was but one 

 antagonist now left, which proved to be the largest 

 of the three and very fierce. He rushed at me most 

 furiously every time I approached him, and in so 

 doing he received twelve or more severe wounds. At 

 last, although quite exhausted from the length of the 

 conflict, seeing that bruin had very little further to 

 run to reach his den, I rode in front of him, charged, 

 and planted my spear well in him. The bear, how- 

 ever, proved too strong for me, tired as I was, and 

 making good his charge, threw himself on the horse's 

 crupper, seizing me by the inside of the thigh with 

 his claws, and took my leg in his mouth ! I stuck 

 firmly to the horse, knowing it was my only chance, 

 and hoping bruin would soon be shaken off. ' Dicky ' 

 behaved splendidly, kicking with considerable effect. 

 At last, however, the infuriated brute, by sheer weight 

 and strength, dragged me off on to the ground. The 

 bear even then did not let me go, but got hold of my 

 foot. As I expected him every instant to seize me 

 by the back, I made a vigorous struggle to escape, 

 and to my delight and surprise, my long sambur- 

 skin boot came off my leg and remained with the 

 bear, who took no further notice of me, but ran off 

 towards his den worrying the boot as he went. My 

 " dander was riz " at this mauling, so picking up my 



