146 



BEARS AT CLOSE QUARTERS. 



" HAS the Sahib got any ball cartridges ? There 

 are bears about, and that is better shikar (sport) 

 than green pigeon. How do I know that there are 

 bears about ? Look yonder ; do you see that haze 

 above those trees ? It looks like thin smoke ; but 

 that is a cloud of flying white ants which are 

 swarming now, after this morning's rain. Do you 

 see those birds flying in and out of the haze ? 

 They are feeding on the ants which are issuing 

 in myriads from the ant-hill at the foot of the 

 tree. Those large birds are hornbills, and they 

 would not fly about like that and eat the ants on 

 the wing, if they were not disturbed. They would 

 sit round the ant-hill and pick up the ants as they 

 issue from their holes. There is a bear at that ant- 

 hill eating the ants. It has driven away the birds. 

 All animals are fond of flying white ants. Dogs, 

 jackals, cats, tigers, leopards, bears, birds of all 

 kinds and even men will gorge on them. They 

 are sweeter than new corn and taste like cocoa- 

 nut. Oh, yes ; I have eaten them, and if the 

 sahib will only once taste them he will always 

 eat them. Bears like them better even than mahua 

 fruit, and I feel sure we shall find a bear under 

 those trees, if the sahib will come/' 



