126 A WOUNDED BEAE. 



ground, before Ossaroo spied a second, and 

 whilst trying to get near him, we came 

 upon another, a very large one. Feeding 

 with his head towards me, my first shot 

 hit him in the shoulder, and the next 

 somewhere else, but where I know not ; you 

 are generally able to tell when you have hit 

 a bear, for they almost invariably sing out 

 when struck, a kind of half growl, half 

 grunt. Finding much blood we followed him 

 by it some distance into the jungle, but the 

 sun was now set, and as it was growing 

 dark, we gave him up for the present, and 

 left further pursuit till the morning, expect- 

 ing fully to find him dead. 



After our supper, in arranging our plans 

 for the next day, I much wished Wilson and 

 Charley Clapcott to accompany me in the 

 morning ; but no, they would find a bear 

 for themselves, and were sure that I should 

 have no difficulty with my old fellow ; so 

 after a glass of punch and a cheroot or 

 two, we turned in for the night. 



At daylight I was ofi" with my two old 



