114 ON THE WATCH. 



horns, we arranged for a stalk. By the time we neared the 

 place where we had first sighted them, they had moved off 

 into very precipitous ground, where they were masters of 

 the situation, and were soon lost to view. As it was im- 

 possible to follow them, on account of a wide intervening 

 chasm, we concealed ourselves among the rocks, and there 

 waited for several hours, until they reappeared and com- 

 menced to feed. 



As we lay there, hoping that they would shift their 

 ground to where it might be more practicable for a stalk, it 

 was interesting to watch them through the glass. Some 

 were feeding leisurely on the patches of herbage among the 

 rocks, whilst others lay resting their horns on the ground, 

 or amused themselves by having a playful tilt. But I ob- 

 served that there was always a sentinel, generally a doe, on 

 the watch for danger. As the sun was getting low, and we 

 were far from camp, I was at last most reluctantly obliged 

 to shut up the telescope and leave them to their gambols. 



Wliilst descending we discovered two brown bears feeding 

 on the opposite side of a deep wide gully. They were a con- 

 siderable way off, but I longed to liear the " crack " of my 

 rifle again, so, at the risk of getting benighted, we proceeded 

 to look them up. They were on an open slope, but by dint 

 of constantly tossing up bits of dry grass to try the wind, 

 which, as is usual among mountains, was very shifty, we 

 managed with some difficulty to keep to leeward of them. 

 On reaching the place where they had at first been seen, 

 there was only one now visible. To him I contrived to 

 creep close up, as his attention was engaged in sniffing 

 about and turning over the stones with his paws in search 

 of insects, when a single bullet, planted well behind the 

 shoulder, sufficed. After a few whining grunts and vain 

 efforts to turn round and bite at his wound, he rolled over 

 to rise no more. 



Leaving one of the men to skin him, Ilamzan and I now 

 proceeded to search for his companion, which we concluded 



