82 SHIKAR 



1st June. We converted all the lead into bullets 

 before breakfast. I was reading the papers, when 

 Subhan popped his head into the tent, and gave me the 

 welcome intelligence, that they had brought back the 

 skin of the bear, having tracked him high up the hill, 

 where he was found under a rock, and he made a charge 

 at them : they, however, killed him. My shot had 

 entered immediately behind the left shoulder, passed 

 through the body, and out behind the right shoulder. 

 Yet he went off as described ; and would have been lost, 

 as many others have been, had he not been thus tracked 

 up. It is wonderful what they carry away. 



By advice of the shikarries I resolved to move to-mor- 

 row down to Q-oombrah, now evacuated by t'other hunter, 

 who is said to have killed only two or three bears there, 

 and not to have climbed the hills at all ; so, as ibex are 

 said to be tolerably numerous among the mountain 

 summits, I may have a chance of getting a shot at those 

 much-prized animals but I quite dread the work. 



2nd June. I was informed by Phuttoo at an early 

 hour, that it was raining and cloudy, so countermanded 

 the move for the present, hoping that the day might 

 clear. 



At 1 P.M. the weather mended ; the clouds broke, the 

 sun appeared, and we thought we were sure of a fine 

 afternoon. I struck tent, packed up and started all the 

 things, remaining myself behind for an hour or two, for 

 the chance of a meeting with Bruin. 



We were miserably deceived in the weather ; black 

 clouds rolled up, thunder crashed overhead, and down 

 descended the rain in torrents. We waited some time 

 under shelter for a lull ; then set forth, soon to experience 

 a down-pour as heavy as ever. We trudged grimly 

 through it. Having crossed the river, we saw an old 



