370 LOOKING FOR THE BEARS. 



look on the east side. Just as I seated myself the mark of a bear's paw — 

 one scratch at a place where some insect dainty had been concealed — attracted 

 my attention. It was fresher than any sign at the foot of the hill, and I 

 immediately divined that the bear or bears — we could not tell how many 

 there were — must be somewhere on the top of the hill. It was evident 

 they had ascended it as it was quiet, and neither woodcutters nor wander- 

 ing Sholagas would disturb them ; and they could not in that case be far 

 away, as the level on the top of the hill was only about six hundred yards 

 in length. It was throughout about fifty yards wide, and there were a few 

 rocks here and there on it, but no caves. 



We deliberated for some minutes as to the advisability of Jaffer's 

 returning for the trackers, but fearful lest, if we made any delay, the 

 bears might be off feeding again, we proceeded at once to look for them. 

 I had only brought my express rifle, loaded, and Jaffer had two spare 

 cartridges ; this gave me four shots. We might have thought twice before 

 attacking three bears with these had we known the number of the enemy, 

 but we thought there was probably but one, or a pair, so started to find 

 them. 



The wind was blowing strongly from the west, and so we kept along 

 the eastern edge of the plateau, Jaffer going occasionally to the west face 

 to look amongst the few rocks there. We traversed the plateau nearly to 

 the end in this manner without seeing anything of the bears, though there 

 were places below boulders where they had lain on previous days. It was 

 highly exciting work, as we expected to be face to face with them each time 

 we peeped round a boulder ; still every likely place proved a blank. At 

 last — lying on a level rock about ten feet square, under the lee of a per- 

 pendicular one some eight feet high which stood upon it — I saw a black 

 and shaggy mass, some thirty paces distant. I caught Jaffer's shoulder 

 and pointed it out to him. We had the wind aU right, and the bears were 

 fast asleep, so we approached nearer to see how they might be disposed of 

 most effectively. When within even ten yards we could not see a head in 

 the indistinct mass. I was thinking of firing into them when Jaffer very 

 sensibly pointed to the top of the overhanging rock, and to a stepping-stone 

 behind it, by which we might get above the bears. Of course that was the 

 thing to do. I gave him a pat of approbation, and sat down to unlace my 

 heavy shooting-boots. In another moment we were looking down upon the 

 sleeping beauties, only two gun-lengths below us ! We now saw that there 

 were three of them. Their deep snoring was pleasant music after our long 

 day's hunt, and we gazed on their placid, upturned countenances with rapture. 

 Some might have thought their expression piggish : to us it was perfect ! 



