40 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SHIKAR 



I waited with Nurrud, the shikari, who said that our 

 best plan was to watch and listen for any crackling 

 of branches or noise that the bear might make in 

 climbing these trees. We heard one at a distance 

 and crept along among wet bushes as noiselessly as 

 we could. Suddenly Nurrud pointed to a tree only 

 fifteen yards away, and there was a black bear, who 

 had already seen us, climbing down as fast as he 

 could, without making a sound. He was half hidden 

 by leaves and I could not see him very clearly, but 

 just had time for a hasty shot ; he fell with a roar, 

 and we heard him scuffling and grunting in the bushes 

 below. As we heard nothing more, the men said 

 that he was dead. So we went cautiously on and 

 came on great pools and almost continuous spurts 

 of blood on the ground and quite high on the long 

 grass and bushes. An artery must have been 

 severed, but one would not have believed that a bear 

 had so much blood to lose. 



We followed this track down-hill for some little 

 way and met Will and his men, who joined in the 

 search. The track led us to the mouth of a cave 

 which was too dark inside for us to see anything. 

 The men said that there was another outlet a few 

 yards higher up, and Will and his coolie climbed up to 

 watch that and to try and get a shot from that 

 point. I was standing in front of the entrance and 

 Nurrud was beside me with the second rifle. The 

 men above heard a grunting and some one shouted 

 that the bear was coming : and out he charged, 

 straight for me. I hit him in the shoulder with a 

 bullet from the 20-bore gun which I find a handy 



