220 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



morning showed that our guess was accurate 

 — an old bear and two small cubs having 

 formed the party. 



At last we were so near the brutes that I 

 began to expect we should run into them in 

 real earnest, and in the stillness of the night 

 we could hear every sound they made. But 

 try as we would we could not distinguish any 

 outline against the tall crops beyond. 



We tried everything we knew to get a 

 view of the marauders, and if the Svan with 

 me believed in half the stories he told me of a 

 bear's comparative fearlessness and ferocity on 

 a dark nio;ht, he showed a great deal more 

 foolhardy courage than I would have cared 

 to show had I been imbued with a like 

 belief. 



But I confess to an honest contempt for 

 Mr. Bruin, so far as his fighting goes. In 

 himself, as he really is, I love the old forest 

 droll, with his little round ears, comic good- 



