SPEARING VARIOUS ANIMALS 227 



which was a very long one, a shikari came running up with 

 a gun saying, " A bear is coming, shoot it." Of course 

 Geddes and I decided to ride it, and sent off word to the 

 others to join us when we went away. 



It is customary here often to follow a pig for a mile or 

 two, or drive him for a mile or two before the word " ride " 

 is given, as he has to be humoured into a bit of country 

 where he can be killed. 



Geddes was mounted on a flea-bitten grey called 

 Speckles, a good and staunch pig -sticker of many 

 seasons, and I on a young one in his first season ; he looked 

 a good 'un, but he had no heart, and refused pig after once 

 being cut. The bear shuffled past us unpleasantly close 

 (we were dismounted), but took no notice, and we started 

 after him at a trot. The line was a good one, the first mile 

 a nullah running through black cotton soil. 



I told Geddes that the next mile was like a billiard- 

 table, and that I did not intend to give " ride " until the 

 bear was in the middle of this, as it was obvious we could 

 do what we liked with him in regard to pace. Geddes 

 laughed and replied, " All right, but we toss for the skin, 

 as the man who says ' ride ' gets the spear." I agreed 

 and afterwards we felt rather fools in being so sure of 

 " Bhaloo's " skin. On the word " ride," Speckles 

 flashed past me and passed the bear, but not within ten 

 spears' length, and he went two hundred yards before 

 Geddes stopped him. I felt " this is all right," and took 

 it slowly, but my pony was having nothing to say to it 

 either. Slowly the bear made his way to the hill. We 

 getting madder and madder, the horses worse and worse, 

 and the bear got angry too and made a good deal of noise. 

 He went into the hill which was very small, and I knew 

 he would go on to the next across a rocky ridge. I told 

 Geddes, and we rode round and I pointed out the bear's 

 line. Geddes scrambled up on the ridge saying, " This is 

 Al, no horse can bolt from here." So there we waited, I 

 praying hard that Geddes looked better eating than I. 

 My prayers were answered, and the bear chose Geddes, 

 who just managed to hold Speckles long enough to allow 



