62 WILD MEN AND WILD BEASTS. 



Telling -me to stand ready with my other barrel, he again 

 cocked his piece and attempted to fire, with no better result. 



Muttering something uncomplimentary to the musket, he 

 passed his right hand behind him, and, drawing out a long 

 knife, commenced to hammer the flint with the back of it, 

 steadily keeping a look-out on the bear all the while. Satis- 

 fied with his operations, he again raised the gun, which this 

 time exploded with a report like a young cannon. I retreated 

 a few paces, warning the Shaik to beware of a charge ; but he 

 replied that his aim had been sure, and that he had done for 

 the bear. We then advanced, and a slight puff of wind from 

 the direction of the bear saluted our nostrils with a not too 

 savoury odour. With a disrespectful allusion to she bears 

 in general, and particularly to those nearly connected with 

 the deceased, the Shaik ejaculated " Bas marta," which is, 

 being interpreted, " it smells." 



I could contain my gravity no longer, but fled laughing to 

 the bungalow, where I was soon followed by the indignant 

 and much injured man. His feelings were much hurt, for he 

 had the local reputation of a mighty hunter, and he knew 

 that the story would spread, and that his village friends would 

 make the most of it. He remarked in a dignified manner that 

 he was an old woodsman, and that such a prank ought not to 

 have been played on him by a youth of my tender years. I 

 have since heard of a similar joke being played on a gallant 

 officer, who was taken out and made to shoot at a railway 

 wrapper, having on it the representation of a panther-skin, 

 which had been cunningly hid away among some long grass. 



We restored the Shaik to good humour with a glass of 

 brandy, and in the afternoon went out with him, and bagged 

 a number of spur-fowl. 



In the river above the pass we saw two fair-sized fish of 



