402 BEAR-SHOOTING IN TRANSYLVANIA. 



approach of twilight we returned from this interesting but 

 unsuccessful hunt. 



Following the wishes of several of the gentlemen, we be- 

 took ourselves early on the 26th to the virgin forests higher 

 up the mountains, where we saw splendid woods but no bears. 

 In the three beats, which were made in the most wonderful 

 old beech woods, a Wild Boar, a Stag, a Eoebuck, and a good 

 many Hazel-hens were encountered, some of them by us and 

 some by the beaters, and there were also a few traces of 

 bears. 



The 27th was also devoted to the old woods, but fortunately 

 to those parts of them which lay nearer to the fields. The 

 first beat was quite blank, but the second, where there were 

 a great many hazels, and which was driven from the edge of 

 the forest, was more successful. 



We were standing in a ravine full of marvellous old trees, 

 when towards the end of the beat a large Eagle-Owl flew 

 close past me, and soon afterwards a dark-coloured two-year- 

 old bear came down the slope between Count M. and Baron J. 

 On reaching the bottom it stopped, receiving from the Baron 

 at the same instant a shot low down in the shoulder, upon 

 which it turned straight towards the Count, who missed it 

 while it was going at full tilt. As it then held on its way 

 without stopping, and the sportsman had slipped in turning 

 quickly to change his gun, his jager, who was standing beside 

 him, felt it to be his duty to roll over Master " Petz " with 

 a high shoulder-shot, and hardly had the animal regained its 

 feet, when a dose of slugs in the neck, at a distance of not 

 more than five paces, brought its tough life to a conclusion, 

 and it was carried home in triumph. 



As the reports which came in on the 28th were again very 

 favourable, we drove the opposite side of the same valley that 

 we had tried on the 25th, selecting for our first beat a cover 

 lying near meadows, pastures, and woods of high oak trees. 



