76 SHIKAR 



ment, and on bringing the spyglass to bear found the 

 visitors to be a pack of wild dogs. 



There the destructive rascals were, some standing, some 

 reclining, looking as though quite at home, and ready for 

 anything. They were a bright light-red, with sharp 

 noses and pricked ears and long bushy tails, almost the 

 size, and somewhat resembling, a middle-sized red Irish 

 setter. 



I moved towards them, but they were off immediately, 

 though quite leisurely. There was great consternation 

 and uproar in the village during the day. This troop of 

 marauders, it would appear, crossed the river over the 

 snow, some three or four miles up, and slinking down had 

 audaciously attacked the cattle grazing within a few 

 hundred yards of my tent. They had bitten two severely, 

 and dispersed the others : but, being disturbed by the 

 enraged peasants, had made off. 



In the afternoon we went down the river after bears, 

 of which I had myself seen four yesterday, in my evening 

 stroll, on the opposite hill ; and my servants reported two 

 to have been feeding a long time just opposite my tent, 

 while I was away on my fruitless expedition. As we 

 wended our way towards a new bridge the villagers were 

 putting up, we saw two bears across the river. We had 

 to wait some time for the completion of the bridge : then 

 crossed, and away up the hill, and had a hard difficult 

 climb to the spot where I shot the ' kustoora,' after the 

 bear that had led me there on that occasion : but the 

 cunning fellow was "up to snuff," and we only saw his 

 hind parts as he retreated in the distance. Much toil 

 for nought. Descending to the river, Subhan, ever keen 

 and vigilant, descried a bear up the hill near by. All 

 dropped. The bear, unconscious of the neighbourhood of 

 enemies, continued to feed. I adjusted Whitworth with 



