BEAR-SHOOTING IN TRANSYLVANIA. 407 



and the sky was covered with grey clouds. We went out 

 notwithstanding to make the same beats in the valley where 

 two bears had been shot at on the 25th, and where the trackers 

 had announced that there were fresh traces. 



The first beat taken on this occasion was the one nearest to 

 the fields and the main valley, the guns being posted on the 

 slope of the hill among the high wood and on the little 

 meadows. Unfortunately we had a thoroughly bad wind, 

 and so it happened that at the very beginning of the beat the 

 last guns on the right wing heard a beast go by which they 

 could not see, and soon afterwards a bear passed at a good 

 speed and out of range in front of an old gentleman, Herr 

 v. M. It did not, however, leave the beat, but crossed back 

 into it over some meadows. 



In this wretched weather, with all the bushes dripping wet, 

 the beaters drove badly, their line broke in the middle, and 

 they came up to the guns a quarter of an hour too soon. 



Several of us were standing together at my brother-in-law's 

 post when there arose a great shouting on the left flank, and 

 soon afterwards a large wolf coming from below burst through 

 the assembled beaters and instantly vanished among the 

 bushes. .It passed so near to one of the men that he struck 

 at it with his stick. 



We now tried another beat, but as the rain kept getting 

 heavier, and the thoroughly drenched beaters came out of the 

 cover in disconnected batches, we left off shooting and turned 

 homewards. 



On the 1st of October we decided to go after woodcock. 

 The cold weather had driven them down from the hills, and 

 there were certainly great numbers of them, for we found 

 more than a hundred within a small area. Wherever one 

 turned a woodcock got up ; but unfortunately the ground was 

 still more hilly, and the difficulties of shooting and placing 

 the guns still greater than on the first day; so that we only 



