HUNTING WITH DOGS. 155 



patches of bracken, on the roots of which the boar 

 feeds, are on every hillside ; at certain seasons of 

 the year he finds quantities of fish washed upon 

 the shore, and on these he riots. As for the chest- 

 nuts, some idea of their abundance may be formed 

 from the fact that, kneeling in one place not pur- 

 posely selected, to-day, I filled all my pockets with 

 fallen chestnuts without once changing my posi- 

 tion ; and yet their only use is to fatten the wild 

 boar, who munches them husks and all, or more 

 dainty Bruin, who eats the nuts, but leaves the 

 husk in his path. 



Once during the day I saw an old bear as I 

 struggled through a veil of thorn vine up a 

 slippery hillside, and firing brought him down 

 with what was almost a bellow of rage or pain, in 

 a succession of .somersaults that took him past me 

 down the hill at a pace that he would never have 

 attained to by his ordinary method of progression. 

 But, alas, on searching for him at the bottom of 

 the hill where he should have lain, we found no 

 trace of him ; and though the dogs followed for 

 a while, a large stream which he had crossed foiled 

 them, and sent us back empty-handed. 



Twice during that day did 1 get into close 

 proximity to big game without seeing anything. 

 Once in the thicket, whence the old boar had 

 charged, 1 had forced my way beyond all hope 

 of a speedy return, when the sound of Stepan's gun 



