164 SPORT IN ASIA AND AFRICA 



she was lying on her back, as I could see her 

 arms moving. I fired into the hole, my idea 

 being that the shot would bring her out, and that 

 she would devote a few seconds to lamentation, 

 during which time I would reload and have the 

 two barrels ready for the subsequent encounter. 

 But the old lady burst from the hole with a howl 

 of rage and pain, gave one flounder as my bullet 

 had broken the off foreleg near the paw, and 

 then came for me on three legs at a good pace. 

 I had begun to reload, but I was not more than 

 25 yards from the hole, and saw at once that I 

 had no time for this. Steadying myself therefore 

 for the shot, I dropped her with a bullet through 

 the brain from the second barrel at five yards' 

 distance. It was a close shave, as she really meant 

 business. She charged me with such directness 

 that I think she must have been watching me 

 from the hole. There were three small cubs in the 

 hole, which we destroyed. 



My companions, though they were in the forest 

 for at least as many hours in the day as I was, 

 did not see a bear. The natives, on the ist of 

 February, when we were returning on elephants 

 from an unsuccessful beat for a tiger, said that 

 they had seen three bears running away ; but they 

 were not seen by any of us. Hart shot a good 

 sambur, and Malcolm shot a fine panther, sitting 

 up in the evening over a kill, but most of the 

 shooting fell to my lot. 



On the 2nd of February Mr. Hart continued his 

 tour, and, as game appeared to be abundant, I 

 remained in camp at the place where I had shot 

 the she-bear. 



