IN THE WURDWAN. 91 



expressing hopes hardly entertained to Phuttoo, when 

 crack ! went a rifle, the whereabouts denoted by a small 

 puff of smoke on the top of the crag mentioned. Now 

 all was serene. I felt sure of victory : when another 

 shot, resounding from a more distant spot, dimmed my 

 bright hopes, and doubts again assailed me another 

 shot, hopes again brightened an exclamation from an 

 attendant behind, and the bear was seen clearly defined 

 on the snow, in a ravine leading down from the crag, 

 evidently dropping. Suddenly he rolled over, and 

 simultaneously a shot rung out, and smoke appeared from 

 above him. He slid down the snow: the hunters 

 came in view following cautiously, and soon after we saw 

 one discharge two shots at the prostrate, but still for- 

 midable brute. Then huge stones were cast at him, and 

 he was pushed and hustled, till, getting way on, he came 

 rolling and sliding on the snow to the bottom of the 

 ravine ; to which place we now made our way, and found 

 our prey a monster for these parts, by far the largest 

 bear I have seen here. 



He was riddled with bullets ; my first shot had entered 

 between the shoulders, at the base of the neck, and came 

 out at the belly: the second struck him well in the 

 middle of the shoulder. Yet he went off as described, 

 and was nearly lost, as many an one has been before. 

 I returned very " koosh " the shikarries, too, proud of 

 this capture, and their share in it. The bear, they say, 

 turned on them, and put them to flight. They are great 

 cowards these men, as, I believe, all the Cashmiries are. 

 Phuttoo, however, is an exception. 



5th June. Again, up the valley some distance beyond 

 yesterday's beat some most likely places for game. "We 

 saw some ibex in an inaccessible place, and halted for the 

 day. 



