VIII 



SOME BEARS IN SATARA 



THERE was a shikari, a very old man, by name 

 Esuf, who lived near Satara, and who came 

 to me a good many times to persuade me to 

 go out with him to shoot black bears. The time to 

 shoot them, he said, was in the rains. It is not 

 particularly pleasant being in camp then ; and I was 

 doubtful, too, about his khubber and put him off 

 several times. But he was persistent and was quite 

 pleased when at last I settled to go. He started off 

 ahead with four mules loaded with kit, and I followed, 

 riding where I could, and letting the horse climb after 

 me where the path was too bad, up to a jungly place 

 at the top of some hills. 



I found my tent was pitched in front of a long, 

 wide, three-mouthed cavern which gave capital 

 shelter for horses and servants. The ground was 

 mostly bare sheet rock, so the tent ropes had to be 

 tied to large heavy stones that the coolies rolled up. 

 The cavern belonged to Deo, and his image was 

 carved inside, where it was rather cold and damp, as 

 it was the rainy season; but when rain was falling 

 heavily I found it convenient and sheltered to use 

 one of the entrances as my dining-room. 



Esuf s plan for getting bears was to take some 



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