178 THE FORESTS OF UPPER INDIA 



dark tree-clad hills against the sky. Moving on about 

 fifty yards, the leading villager, who was the owner of 

 the lower terraces now covered with the tall stalks of 

 Indian corn, stopped and pointed. I counted five black 

 objects in the corn, and could hear them gathering the 

 com cobs and crunching the grain. There was no doubt 

 they were five black bears at their evening meal, the 

 nearest not twenty yards from where we stood ; but 

 it was impossible to see the sights of the rifle, though I 

 tried several times. Oh, for a glow-worm or a luminous 

 sight ! But it was no use, I could not make sure of a foot 

 up or down. I picked up a piece of shiny straw, and 

 was laying it on the sight of the rifle to attract the eye in 

 this darkness, when I heard a rushing noise through the 

 com, and the bear nearest me, no doubt smelling the gun 

 or a strange scent, came straight on up the path to the 

 terrace where we stood as fast as he could come. Whether 

 I should leg it or not was the first question ; but there was 

 no time to get out of his way, and the flash of the rifle 

 fired straight at him so blinded my eyes, and probably 

 his too, that he came on the faster. As he tumbled up the 

 path on to the terrace where we stood, I poked the rifle 

 into the black mass and fired again. My friend the vil- 

 lager behaved like a brick and did not run ; but before he 

 could hand me the other rifle the bear, blinded again by 

 the bright flash, was on top of us in a moment, and knocked 

 down the man, getting past me I could not tell how, 

 for it was all over in a moment, and Bruin rushed on as if 

 the devil was after him, and disappeared in the darkness. 

 The only mark he left of his charge was a single claw 

 mark, which took a piece out of my brave gentleman's 

 nose. He took it very coolly, and got up laughing at the 

 joke, and chaffing me for not stopping the bear. I had 

 previously told him that I could not undertake to shoot in 



