270 SHORT STALKS 



relief wlieii the rifle cracked and the mental strain was 

 over, whether I had missed him or not. But then I 

 knew for certain that I had not missed him. When 

 the smoke cleared — it was before the days of Schultz 

 or E.G. — the bear appeared running straight towards 

 us, quite unaware of the quarter whence he had been 

 stricken, and it almost looked as if he were chnroino- us. 

 Now he reached the opposite edge of the ravine beneath 

 us and beaan climbino; down its face, but lurchino- so 

 heavily that I could hardly keep myself from shouting, for 

 I saw that he had the lead in a vital spot. Telling my 

 companion to reserve his fire for close quarters, I gave the 

 enemy a second barrel which made him reel again. At 

 the bottom of the ravine he reared up on his hind-legs, 

 clasping a young tree and swaying it to and fro in his 

 struo-Q-les with death. Two more shots and then he rolled 

 over. As we ran towards him we danced and yelled and 

 shrieked as if we were demented. But we had sense 

 enough to draw near with some care and from above, as he 

 lay on his side apparently hi articulo mortis. Tenderly 

 approaching I tried to turn him over with my foot, when 

 he suddenly raised himself on his fore-feet, with a very un- 

 pleasant rattle in his throat, and tried to scranil)le up the 

 hill after us. For this we were prepared and springing 

 back I finished the business with a shot through his fore- 

 head. We proceeded to examine our prize. Though I 

 have hitherto spoken of it as a male it proved to be a she- 

 bear four years old, and five feet long from the nose to the 

 tip of the tail. Now that we came to inspect her closely 

 her light colour was even more strange than it appeared on 

 the hill side. Seizing her fore-paws we dragged lier down 



