166 The hunting grounds 



tumbling her over for the moment. She, however, 

 soon got up again, raised herself on her haunches, 

 uttering a peculiarly melancholy cry, and looked 

 round in a most woe-begone manner. This posi- 

 tion oflFered me a splendid shot, and I finished her 

 career with a ball from my second gun. 



Having ascertained that both were dead, Googoo- 

 loo climbed a large tree that was near, and fastened 

 the Mulliarry's turban-cloth, like a streamer, to one 

 of the highest branches, in order to serve as a land- 

 mark for the coolies when they came to collect the 

 game. He also cut off a claw from the right fore- 

 paw of each bear, so as to mark it as mine, a pre- 

 caution the gang always took, in consequence of an 

 individual having obtained a deer which I had un- 

 doubtedly shot at a battue some time previously, 

 and, to the intense disgust of all my people, allowed 

 him to appropriate and carry off. 



As we were leisurely returning up the water- 

 course towards the caves where B and D 



were posted, I heard a rolling of stones and a 

 curious grunting noise close behind us. I jumped 

 on a large boulder of rock, and saw three bears 

 making their way slowly up the watercourse in the 

 same direction we were going. I immediately made 

 signs to Googooloo and the Mulliarry to hide, and I 

 crouched behind the rock until they were past, as I 

 wished my friends to get a shot, and they were 

 evidently bound their way. 



These three had hardly passed when Googooloo 



