xi THE BEAR 237 



that a trustworthy attendant should be thus armed, as a dying 

 animal can then be approached with comparative impunity. 



The risks that are run in following wounded animals are far 

 greater than the prime attack. Should an animal charge without 

 being wounded, it may generally be turned by a steady shot, if not 

 absolutely killed; but when badly hurt, the onset of a beast is 

 spasmodic, and nothing but death will paralyse the spring. I 

 could mention numerous cases where lamentable disasters have 

 occurred simply through thoughtlessness on the part of the hunter, 

 who has been sacrificed in consequence of his neglect. One of the 

 saddest catastrophes was the death of the late Lord Edward St. 

 Maur, son of the Duke of Somerset, who died from the effects of 

 amputation necessitated by the mangled state of his knee from the 

 attack of a bear some years ago in India. This unfortunate young 

 sportsman was shooting alone, and having wounded a bear, he 

 followed up the animal for about a mile. When discovered it 

 immediately charged him, and although again seriously wounded 

 by his shot, the bear seized him by the knee, pulled him to the 

 ground, and in the struggle that ensued he was seriously mauled. 

 The bear was driven away by his attendants, and he was conveyed 

 to camp. There was no blame in this instance attached to himself, 

 or to any other person. In a most courageous manner he defended 

 himself against the bear with his hunting-knife, and the body of 

 the animal was recovered after some days by his shikari ; but this 

 promising young nobleman was cut off in the early days of his 

 career, and was probably sacrificed through a want of surgical 

 experience on the part of the native operator. 



I remember an instance of carelessness, which might have had 

 a disastrous result, many years ago, when I was hunting in Ceylon. 

 My brother, the late General Valentine Baker, was riding with me 

 through the jungles in the district called "The Park." I had 

 been caught by a rogue elephant a few days before, and my right 

 thigh was so damaged that I could only walk a few yards with 

 difficulty. Suddenly the man who walked before my horse ran 

 back, and shouted " Wallahah, Wallahah " (Bears, Bears), and we 

 caught sight of some large black object rushing through the jungle, 

 close to our horses' heads. Valentine Baker jumped nimbly off, 

 and I heard a shot almost immediately ; my wounded leg was 

 perfectly numbed, and I had no feeling in my foot ; therefore, as 

 it touched the ground without sensation, I fell over on my back. 

 Gathering myself together, I managed to run in chase, and I shortly 

 found myself close to the retreating heels of two bears that were 

 trotting through the dense underwood. One of these brutes, 



