252 SHORT STALKS 



was in a neighbouring valley, and the post, reputed to be 

 the l^est, was a little hollow, overgrown with box bushes, 

 situated above one cliff, and below another. From it 

 one looked down into the depths of the valley, and uj) 

 at gaunt cliffs, but the immediate surroundings were in 

 gloom and overshadowed l)y masses (jf box. It was 

 rather an exciting spot, for the visible space was so 

 small that it was obvious, that if a bear came that 

 way he would inftillibly be almost on your lap, before 

 he would bo seen. I remember the first time I occupied 

 this position expecting this to happen every moment, and 

 indeed the tracks showed that "Nicholas" frequently 

 passed that way. I had sat there for three hours with 

 senses keenly alert, and fancying all the time that I was the 

 first human being who had ever entered that eerie sjiot, 

 when I spied something white on the ground. It proved 

 to 1)6 a fragment of the Times newspaper. After this, my 

 sentiments were of a less exalted nature. The nearest 

 approach that we made to seeing Bruin ourselves in that 

 drive, was that, on one occasion, one of the beaters — the 

 most infirm, who for that reason was at the bottom of the 

 line, where the slope was easiest — nearly trod upon a large 

 bear, who sat up and stared at him for some moments, 

 Ijcfore he quietly strolled off in the opposite direction to 

 that of the hunters in ambush. 



I never saw a bear at the post I have described, but 

 once an izzard ran up against me there to its own hurt. 

 This particular wood was a sure find for one or more 

 of these animals, which were always old male solitaires. 

 Just Ijy this post, I once found the trunk of a fir-tree, 

 against which a bear had sat u}), and rubbed his back. 



