CHAPTER XI. 



BEAE-HUNTING, 



We start for the Bear Hill. — The reconnaissance. — Bears afoot. 

 — Their strongholds invested. — A foraging party surprised. — 

 Two bears die. — Three more afoot. — Another couple yield 

 their spoils. — Desperate encounter with an enraged vixen, 

 who almost proved a Tartar. — " The Old Shekarry " in a fix 

 for a time, but wins the game at last. — The bag of the day. — 

 The return. 



The next morning we are all up and equipped for 

 sport by 2 A.M., and, after a substantial feed, started 

 for the Bear Hill on foot, as the villagers said the 

 route was difficult for horses. 



At this season of the year the night is not at any 

 time dark, and we managed to get along very well 

 in Indian file, although the path was very narrow, 

 and in some places we had to crawl along on our 

 hands and knees. We arrived at the foot of the 

 hill some time before sunrise, and here I halted the 

 party, which numbered about twenty coolies and 



villagers, and telling B to prevent any of them 



from straying, and to keep as quiet as possible, I 

 went forward to reconnoitre, accompanied by Goo- 



