56 IBEX SHOOTING 



order was issued forbidding us to shoot 

 them. We were sitting, having an * easy ' 

 in the middle of the day, when our attention 

 was attracted by a red bear on the hill 

 opposite. He was behaving in the most 

 extraordinary way ; now creeping up to the 

 edge of the cliff and looking over, then 

 running back a few yards and sitting 

 down ; then coming gingerly to the edge 

 again, and again withdrawing. Presently 

 he seemed to get an idea : after searching 

 about he picked up a big stone in his 

 arms, and approaching the edge deposited 

 it with great care, and again creeping up 

 to the edge looked over very carefully. Yet 

 again he withdrew, picked up the rock in 

 his arms, and deliberately dropped it over 

 the cliff, then took to his heels, running 

 about two miles without stopping. After 

 about an hour he returned, again looked 

 for some time over the edge of the cliff, 

 and then went away leisurely. Impelled 

 by curiosity we went over to see if we 

 could get any clue to this extraordinary 



