106 ADVENTURE WITH AN OLD SHE BEAR. 



feeling a bit the worse for my adventure. My friend at first 

 thought my face was torn, but it proved to be nothing but 

 the blood of the bear as he tried to seize me by the head. 

 There were four holes in my trousers, but no signs of blood, 

 and as I felt no pain I fancied I had escaped with only a 

 pinch, and we had rather a hot dispute as to whether my last 

 shot had hit him. We eventually started for number four, 

 but had not gone far when I began to feel very queer and 

 faint ; I got some water which refreshed me and we started 

 again, but feeling very uncomfortable about the hip, I thought 

 I might as well see if I was bitten. My friend said on my 

 doing so he saw my jaw drop on to my chest. My thigh bone 

 was quite exposed, so taking all things into consideration, 

 and the bears being a good way off, I thought it best to make 

 for our camp. We managed to rig up a native bed — for I 

 was now so stiff I could not move without great pain, and by 

 travelling through the night I arrived at my house without 

 further mishap, and in a month was able to get about. I must 

 however allow that I was not quite so steady the next time 

 I was posted for a bear, but the nervousness, we should have 

 called it by another name in those days, soon wore off, and 

 I saw many a bear afterwards bite the dust to my rifle. 



On another occasion I had a funny adventure with a bear, 

 I had turned out soon after 7 a.m. On going over the hill, I 

 heard a rush and a roar to my right and saw some large 

 animal trotting away. Atley whispered, " It's a tiger," so I 

 was rather careful how I advanced as I could hear it growling 

 a little way on. However, as soon as we got on the tracks 

 we saw it was a bear, so away we went after it ; the moist 

 jungle showing a fine broad track which we followed for along 

 distance. At last just ahead I heard the peculiar blow 



