BEARS. 25 



the left barrel burst close to him, and made him swerve 

 off with a roar of disapproval. He, however, made 

 good his retreat to a tangle of acacia among some rocks 

 half a mile off. 



We then returned to track up the wounded bear, which, 

 after breaking through the line of beaters, had made his 

 way across some open ground to the scene of operations of 

 the preceding afternoon. We tracked him into the cave by 

 his blood. He was very hard hit, and we could hear him 

 close by, evidently dying, when suddenly the beaters out- 

 side began to shout " Eeech ata " (a bear is coming), and 

 on emerging we saw a large bear, followed by a cub, 

 advancing across the plain at a gallop towards the rocks we 

 were on. Whenever the old bear got too far ahead the 

 little chap began to screech, and the big one would 

 immediately stop and wait for it. They came straight to 

 the foot of the rocks, but winded us, and went off again, 

 pursued by Manley, who caught the youngster, but it was 

 suffocated shortly after by the coolies, who feared its cries 

 would recall its mother. The cave was explored by the 

 shikaries, who found my wounded bear had died, and the 

 body was brought out without difficulty. 



The bullet had passed through the lungs. Sometimes, 

 when stalking, we used to come suddenly on bears grubbing 

 for roots, &c. In such cases the chances are that the brute 

 will charge without further provocation. A boar behav. - 

 in the same way, and it sometimes became necessary to fire 

 in self-protection, even at the risk of disturbing nobler 

 game. The fat of the bear is useful for rheumatic pains, if 

 well rubbed in, but falls short of tiger's fat in etHrarv. 

 The male bear possesses a peculiar bone, similar to that of 

 the otter, which natives of both sexes pri/e highly as a 

 remedy for sterility. These bones are in great demand, 



