138 DENSE COVERTS. 



side, and though from time to time a broken twig 

 betrayed the presence of the one to the other, 

 Stepan and I were otherwise lost to each other. For 

 over half- an -hour we had been stalking in this way, 

 without any event occurring to wake the stillness 

 of the wood, when from a point above me, and 

 coming down wind towards me, I heard a sound 

 like that of approaching game. Slowly it came on, 

 and as the leaves were crushed softly under its 

 heavy even tread, which stopped from time to time 

 that the beast might listen or pick up a chestnut, I 

 recognised the step as that of Bruin strolling slowly 

 home after his early breakfast. Stooping to get a 

 better view through the hazel stems, I saw them 

 swing and shake some eighty yards above me, and 

 caught a glimpse at the same moment of something 

 lighter in colour than the covert passing through 

 it. Instinctively my rifle covered it, and from that 

 moment, for quite three minutes I should think, I 

 followed the bear's every movement with my rifle's 

 muzzle. Twice I half pressed the trigger as a 

 larger piece of the creature's grey side was visible 

 to me, picking his way slowly past me ; but just as 

 I was on the point of firing he turned and came, 

 downhill towards me. Thanking my stars that I 

 had not fired a random shot into the brown of my 

 game, I waited for him to come closer. There was 

 twenty yards from me a little open space, and here, 

 if lie entered it, as he seemed likely to. I meant to 



