AN UNPLEASANT MEETING. 239 



clown to the very brink. A friend of mine and 

 Ins wife were one evening walking round it, and 

 had reached the furthest and widest portion of its 

 jungle-covered shore, when to his horror a bear 

 presented itself. He was an old sportsman, and 

 knew if the beast were irritated by shouts or efforts 

 to drive him away it would probably attack. So, 

 seizing his wife, he silently waded as far into the 

 water as he could take her, and there awaited the 

 brute's further movements. He was fortunately a 

 strong swimmer, and had determined to endeavour 

 to save his wife by swimming with her should the 

 bear attack them. However, after being in this 

 unpleasant predicament for some time, he had the 

 satisfaction of seeing the bear take itself off, and 

 he brought his wife to shore, and hurried her away 

 in an opposite direction, vowing he would cany a 

 rifle in future when extending his walks to such 

 lonely places, though across the lake, and not more 

 than a quarter of a mile off, the bungalows were 

 distinctly visible." 



" Natives have told me," said Norman, " that 

 besides attacking a man's face, a bear has an ugly 

 custom of using the claws of his hind feet at the 

 same time, and sometimes succeeds in disem- 

 bowelling him." 



" In fact," said Hawkes, " they are decidedly 



