SHOOTING BY MOONLIGHT. 225 



right, rather beyond a safe shot at night. About nine 

 o'clock a sound of a peculiar kind struck upon our ears, 

 and announced the tardy approach of the game we sought, 

 and shortly after a she-bear and two cubs slowly sauntered 

 up, sniffing and scratching here and there, and made for the 

 trees farthest from our position, where their forms were 

 only dimly visible. The mother looked in the shimmering 

 light of the moon a fine sonsy beast, but the cubs were 

 mere hobbledeho} T s, not worth shooting, and therefore we 

 waited for something better. Whether the mother climbed 

 a tree and shook down their food to the youngsters, or the 

 Hatter climbed up themselves, could not be clearly seen, 

 though we could hear them plainly enough from time to 

 time as they fed on the sweet flowers. A weary half -hour 

 passed, broken only by the distant howls of jackals, the 

 screams of the little screech-owls, and the cluck-cluck of the 

 nigl)t-jar, and then the unmistakable noises produced by bears 

 in high dispute, roused our flagging spirits, the disputants- 

 seemingly close to us though unseen, but really a good 

 quarter or half-a-mile away, the extreme stillness of the- 

 night causing voices to appear nearer than they actually 

 were. Another period of suspense was succeeded by the- 

 advance at a run of a couple of fair-sized young bears, gay 

 bucks on the spree, chased by an immense old gentleman, in- 

 high dudgeon at something or other which had ruffled his- 

 temper ; however the sight of the " mowah " trees mollified 

 him ; so much so, that after an indignant snort or two, he 

 condescended to settle down to his supper, after smoothing 

 his hair and tucking in his frills. We could now see plainly 

 all three of the new comers, the two smaller the most distant 

 from us, and the largest slowly advancing towards our 

 hiding-place up to the nearest tree, which he seemed disposed 

 to make his special property, and which stood within easy 

 shot at a score of yards. 



As I felt the trigger of my big rifle with a light touch, 

 I made sure of our irascible friend, but what^about the rest? 

 I was not inclined to be content with that one chance, but 



