176 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



But for all that she struggled gamely up hill, 

 growling and looking angrily about her. 



The next bullet broke her spine and 

 brought her by a succession of tremendous 

 somersaults mto the stream beneath, where 

 she stuck under the bridge, temporarily 

 damming the current with her body. 



But the cubs had got too far before I could 

 get another sight of them as they dodged 

 amongst the timber, and not having on my 

 sandals, my attempts to get near them 

 amongst the slippery rocks were lamentable 

 failures. As they were left together, the 

 youngsters would take very good care of 

 themselves and get clear away ; but had I had 

 the luck to have used my second barrel on 

 one of them, the other would in all proba- 

 bility have lost his head and taken to a tree, 

 where we could have added him to the num- 

 ber of the slain. 



Two woodmen, attracted by the shots, 



