Pelts 



one is shikaring him he is not exactly having 

 things as he likes, and that probably accounts for 

 his irascibility of temper. 



The two most ordinary ways of getting bear are 

 either to beat them out of their rocky homes 

 in the daytime, or to sit up near the caves before 

 daybreak to get a shot as Bruin is returning home 

 from his nightly forays, or in the afternoon in 

 the hope that he will leave his retreat before dark. 



To me these latter are the most fascinating 

 methods of tackling him. There is always the 

 off-chance of a close tussle, and whilst waiting 

 silently in one's stand there is usually an interest- 

 ing amount of small life to study if one keeps 

 absolutely still. 



Beating is often had recourse to in Central 

 India, and if a succession of beats over rocky hills 

 can be arranged for, a very jolly day can be 

 passed, and one not unlikely to be full of incident 

 if one is on foot and not safely ensconced in a 

 machan in a tree. 



I remember the very first beat I took part 

 in in India was for bear (with a possible tiger), 

 and great was my excitement at the thought that 

 I was at last to see one at least of the more 

 dangerous animals of the Indian fauna. 



A party of five of us left the station soon after 

 dawn one morning early in March, and rode 

 and drove out some 16 miles, finishing the re- 

 maining 4 miles on an elephant. On arriving at 



285 



