254 WILD MEN AND WILD BEASTS. 



in a comparatively open jungle,* were some bears' caves, 

 situated on the side of a ridge of elevated ground. We 

 directed our men to proceed to this spot after dark, when 

 the bears would be out feeding, and to block up the entrance 

 to the caves with stones, etc. We started early in the morn- 

 ing on elephants, and on arriving at the place, found three 

 bears dancing about the caves in a state of great consternation. 

 On seeing us they went off, but after going a short distance, 

 they were turned back by some villagers, and again made for 

 the caves. I met them on a narrow ridge, and as they came 

 tumbling along after each other in single file, my elephant 

 became so unsteady that I could not shoot with accuracy. 

 The bears, however, turned and fled, the largest being wounded 

 in the foot. Ward at once went after him, and ended a long 

 chase by slaying him. Meanwhile, the others, making a cir- 

 cuit, regained the caves, and before we could overtake them 

 they managed to effect an entrance, and went to ground. 



We then moved in a northerly direction to Buckutgurh, 

 where we found a gigantic old male bear in a corinda thicket, 

 on the side of a ravine. No trees were at hand, so we stood 

 together, and as he came out, we made short work of him. We 

 saw two others, but they got away in a bit of rough country, 

 and we could not find them again. 



We then moved north to Dhotreea, about eight miles. 

 Here our men marked down a tigress, and we went after her 

 about mid-day. She was lying on the side of a wide open 

 ravine, filled with scrub about six feet in height, through 

 which were scattered dwarf salar trees. It was a very awk- 

 ward place to work in. The ground was unsuited for an 

 elephant, and there was nothing to indicate the direction 

 which the tigress, if started, might be expected to take. The 

 scrub jungle was too thick to allow us to shoot down on her 



