208 THE EASTERN HUNTERS. 



and by no means active, so I should not be correct 

 in saying he 'jumped up/ for that with him was an 

 impossibility but he started, and looked up ; and 

 there, bearing down on him along the jungle path, 

 was his wounded friend, and not more than four or 

 five yards off. He was perfectly aghast ; he had 

 no time to bolt, or even to seize his gun, which 

 was resting against another tree ; so, in the despera- 

 tion of the moment he raised his bottle to hit the 

 bear over the head or nose, for he remembered their 

 peculiar sensitiveness in that prominent feature. 

 At that very moment the cork flew out with a sharp 

 bang, hit bruin, as luck would have it, right on the 

 nose itself, and the contents of the bottle, being well 

 up, flew fizzing and sputtering over his face and eyes. 

 This was a reception he had not calculated on. 

 Instead of seizing my friend, he hastily turned aside 

 in terror, and made the best of his way into the 

 jungle ; while my friend hastened his exit with 

 the bottle, which, truly and correctly aimed, and 

 yet half full of soda-water, hit him on the stern, 

 and scattering its cold contents over him caused 

 him to redouble his speed. Now, you see, that story 

 rests on my bare assertion, so I don't often tell it." 



" Rather lare-faced if you did, I think," re- 

 sponded Hawkes. 



" Come, come, none of that exchange of wit. As 



