396 The Hunting Grounds 



other in endless variety of shape and extraordinary 

 confusion ; but I felt too much absorbed in surmising 

 upon the different kinds of large game that were 

 likely to be met with in such a vast extent of virgin 

 forest, to pay very much attention to the picturesque 

 beauties that lay in my path. 



After about three hours' riding, we came to a large 

 log cattle-shed, used only in the summer months, 

 when the best pasturage is to be found on the lower 

 spurs of the mountains ; and here we had to leave the 

 horses under the charge of a guard, as the track 

 became impracticable for them. 



The Illori chief described this bear to be a terrible 

 animal standing as high as a pony, but, as I had a 

 double-gun and rifle, and a brace of revolvers, I con- 

 sidered myself more than a match for him. 



The herdsman now led the way, arid under his 

 guidance we climbed, in Indian file, a steep rocky 

 hill, which caused us to puff and blow, and made our 

 knees tremble before we got to the top ; where, by 

 dint of scrambling on our hands and knees, creeping 

 along the edges of break-neck precipices, and hanging 

 on to perilous ledges, we managed to work our way 

 along the crest until we came to a deep rocky ravine 

 on the other side, which appeared to have been 

 denuded of the dense bush that generally covered the 

 face of the country, by the violence of numerous 

 mountain-torrents, which, when swollen by the rains, 



