SHIKAR 



At 2 P.M. we ascended, and gained a view of a fine 

 stretch of open grassy slope beyond our halting place, 

 where the valley makes a bend to the left. Here we 

 stopped a couple of hours : nothing seen but a bear out 

 of reach. We descended, and wended our way down 

 valley. 



A bear was seen : we went after him, and disturbed 

 two bara sing hinds which were too knowing for us, so 

 to our first attraction, whom we saw disporting himself 

 on the snow which he cantered across. We were after 

 him, when Subhan recoiled, saying there was another 

 bear in the same spot just quitted by the first. 



True enough so after him; and I was crawling 

 to a position about one hundred and twenty yards from 

 him, when he twigged something wrong, and looked up. 

 He cocked his ears, when I cocked the rifle, and fearing 

 his flight I fired hurriedly, but hit him, I believe, well 

 behind the shoulder. He started, and staggered then 

 came straight for us. I waited, prepared to give him 

 second barrel. Passing a few paces above us on the side 

 of the hill, he gave an angry roar as he cast a passing 

 glance at us, and I gave him No. 2 somewhere in the 

 ribs, whereat he winced, but rolled on his course and 

 vanished, Mooktoo on his tracks, then the rest of us. 

 But, sending Subhan to assist the former, Phuttoo and I 

 went after the first bear on our homeward route, but saw 

 nothing of him. 



When a couple of miles or so from camp, a breathless 

 villager met us, and said there was a bara sing down by 

 the river, not far from camp. Much excited, he started 

 off at a run. I made him walk, but talk, and that 

 loudly, he would ; and when he suddenly pointed out 

 the bara sing in the valley below, he loudly proclaimed 

 its presence. The animal was evidently attentive and 



