THE HIGHEE NAEBADA. 347 



stones, and strewn with boulders that had been rolled down 

 from the hills above. Jumping on my pony, I started up this 

 nala\ at a rattling pace, scrambling and sliding in a most 

 wonderful manner over the stones, till I again caught sight 

 of the bears going leisurely about two hundred yards ahead. 

 I had gained about fifty more on them before they saw me, 

 and was just going to pull up and fire, when they set off at a 

 shambling gallop, which, owing to the badness of the ground, 

 soon left me far in the rear. Coming to a better place, I 

 rapidly gained on them again, but the hill was too near, and 

 I was full 150 paces behind when they commenced the ascent. 

 Pulling up, I administered my two barrels with as much 

 steadiness as my panting steed would admit of ; the second 

 shot told somewhere, as testified by the growls it elicited from 

 the old " she," but it was too far for such a snap shot, and 

 their movements seemed to be only accelerated. Throwing 

 my bridle over a branch, I was reloaded in a few seconds, and 

 scrambling up in Bruin's tracks, I heard them above me on 

 the hill-side rustling among the dried leaves, but could not 

 get another shot ; nor did I find any blood. This was very 

 unlucky, for if I had had a suspicion of there being bears on 

 the hill, I would never have taken up the position I did, as a 

 bear would break back through an army of beaters rather 

 than take to an open plain, where he had no stronghold to 

 make for. The bear is very sweet upon the " mhowaV' and 

 these had evidently come down to feed on it ; for, had they 

 been regular residents, the villagers must have been aware of 

 it from seeing their tracks and excavations. 



The beaters, who had suspended operations to witness the 

 result of the bear chase, now resumed their beating, while I 

 rode slowly along the bed of the nald, in case there might be 

 any more of the family left. We had reached within about 



