CHAPTER XXVII 



AFTER A BLACK BEAR 



FOR two long, hot days, from morning to night, 

 through thick and thin, I had been on my legs ; but 

 all to no purpose ! Master Bruin was nowhere to 

 be seen. 



" A month later," said the shikaris. " The fruit 

 and the berries are not yet ripe enough. His lord- 

 ship likes them very sweet." 



There are crowds of hares and partridges ; but as 

 soon as the shooting season opens, a thousand 

 reasons are forthcoming by way of excuse for the 

 unexpectedly poor bags. Are not men and women, 

 including sportsmen, just the same all the world 

 over ? 



In order to get a better bird's-eye view, we 

 climbed up to the top of the ridge, and thence 

 scoured the hillside with our glasses, going carefully 

 over every turn, spying into every corner, staring 

 hard at every fruit tree, and even inspecting the 

 hollow trunks of chestnuts and deodar cedars. All 

 in vain ! Not a bear to be seen ! Nothing but 



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