226 MODERN PIG-STICKING 



further wound was inflicted. The panther got 

 bored, broke away and sprang on Gillman's horse. 



Bears 



I have never had a chance of sticking a bear. 

 We had one in glorious hunting country this May, 

 but a silly youngster got there six hours before us, 

 beat for him, and fired at him at thirty yards, 

 missing him handsomely. 



I took Crispin within touch of a performing bear 

 a few weeks ago. The bear stood up sparring. 

 Crispin stood with ears cocked, great eyes staring, 

 and every muscle beneath me taut, but he never 

 moved. 



If I am ever again quartered in Secunderabad 

 I hope to spear many bear, revisiting all Nightin- 

 gale's old haunts, which I know. 



I wrote to my friend Mr. H. Branford, the well- 

 known pig - sticker and tiger - shot of Mirzapur, 

 about bear. I give you his interesting letter in full. 



About 1903 I was out at the Barkatcha camp trying 

 to find pig for Major Geddes of the 77th Battery, and here 

 I feel I must pay a tribute to a good sportsman, as I some- 

 times wonder if without his help I should ever have been 

 able to make people believe that our hill boar could be 

 ridden and killed. No day was too long for him, and blank 

 days he took as they came ; no country was too rough, 

 and though I was then only a youngster who knew very 

 little of the ways of hill pig, still he always did what I asked 

 cheerfully, and did not grouse when we failed. 



Five of us were beating a rocky gorge, in which bear 

 had never been heard of, for pig, and as there were two 

 lines a pig might take I sent a heat of three to the East 

 with instructions not to join us but wait for a second pig, 

 and Geddes and I took the nullah. Early in the beat. 



