236 THE EASTERN HUNTEES. 



thus made examples of their wrath, and lucky I 

 daresay they thought themselves in not being- 

 killed." 



"Do bears always rise on their hind legs when 

 attacking a man ? " inquired Hawkes. 



" Some suppose so, I believe," was the answer. 

 " But I have been charged home, and dropped them 

 at the end of my gun almost, without their doing 

 so. It depends, I should think, on the circum- 

 stances attending their attack." 



" In some parts of the country," Mackenzie said, 

 "the natives funk bears far more than tigers. The 

 latter, they say, nearly always endeavour to sneak 

 away unless wounded ; while bears, being of an 

 inquisitive turn of mind and withal of a rough, 

 uncouth, pugnacious disposition, will frequently, 

 when casually disturbed, endeavour to ascertain 

 who the intruder may be, and resent the intrusion. 

 Now my first adventure at Mungaum was a case in 

 point. They will go out of their way to attack, 

 where a tiger would probably slip away." 



"They seem plucky enough with them here," 

 said Hawkes. 



"Yes, these little hill fellows have not half so 

 much fear as some of the tribes of the low country 

 that I have come across. I knew an officer once 

 shooting in the hills, who was charged by a wounded 



