26 BEARS. 



and disappear as rapidly as the beernecks and fat of a tiger. 

 Consequently the Sahib must take charge of this talisman 

 if he wishes to secure one. 



In the Deccan and, indeed, all over Southern India 

 a widespread belief prevails among natives of all creeds and 

 classes, that the male bear is in the habit of carrying 

 off native women to the jungle. The shikaries often 

 declare that some of their own friends have been thus 

 treated, and they will mention the names of the ladies and 

 the localities they disappeared from. One of my shikaries 

 (Baliyah) informed me that he knew a woman who returned 

 after being absent for three years in the jungles in this 

 way, and that a young girl who had been spirited away 

 mysteriously for several months, one day found her way 

 back to her village, and accounted for her absence by a 

 similar story. 



Both women stated that they had met with very kind 

 treatment, but that the food was bad. All natives to whom 

 I have spoken on this subject are evidently firmly convinced 

 that such cases do occur, but if any incredulity is evinced, 

 they cease their revelations forthwith. 



On asking Baliyah how he accounted for the Tairbund 

 bears having attacked some women and killed others, he 

 immediately replied that they must be female bears, and 

 were therefore jealous, for no male would either bite 

 or claw a woman. Strange to say, his theory was 

 afterwards proved to be true, and he took special care 

 to point this out to me on the death of the bears a 

 week later on. 



One of the shikaries should always carry a bear-spear, 

 a weapon which not unfrequently renders good service. 

 The head should be three inches broad and six long, and it 

 must be welded to a long iron socket to protect the shaft, 



