156 THE EASTERN. HUNTERS. 



wound round the side of the hill, the other two 

 remaining where they were. Presently a cry was 

 raised that a man was seized, and the two were on 

 the point of rushing down into the nullah to his 

 assistance, when, for a single second, they caught 

 sight of the bear slipping down into the bottom of 

 the nullah, after making a charge at the men on the 

 other side. 



" Stand where you are, Sahibs ! " shouted Rugon- 

 auth. " The man is all safe. He threw his cumley 

 (coarse native cloth or blanket, serving as a wrapper) 

 in the bear's face." 



" Was he seized 1 " asked Norman, in reply. 



" No, Sahib. The bear came at our bodies, but 

 the cumley stopped him. He has torn it to pieces. 

 Look out ! Take care ! There he goes, straight at 

 you." 



As Rugonauth spoke, the bear broke from the 

 thick jungle within ten or a dozen yards of the 

 spot where the friends were standing, and charged, 

 growling viciously, right at them. Hawkes, in 

 taking a step back, tripped and fell, but managed 

 to fire from a sitting posture. A couple of bullets 

 from Norman also staggered and turned the beast, 

 but without dropping him. He went away to the 

 left before the spare guns could be got hold of, for 

 the men had retreated. 



