236 SPORT IN BENGAL. 



up with the news of there being bears in a cave. I ran 

 back cautiously, and made out two bears walking backwards 

 and forwards in front of a den at the base of a great per- 

 pendicular rock, seemingly in great indignation, while loud 

 aggressive growls from inside explained the cause of their 

 anger ; however, on seeing me they bolted in regardless of 

 consequences, and indifferent to the feelings of their seniors 

 within. Taking up my position below the mouth of the 

 cavern, and only a few feet in front of it, I made the 

 Santhals shout and dance above, with such good effect, that 

 no less than five full-grown bears ran out one after another, 

 and all got off excepting one, an immense old female, which 

 I rolled over with a shell as she dashed at me. Had I 

 been armed with a breech-loader, better results might have 

 followed. 



" The next day I visited the same place again, in hopes 

 of sport, but the bears were not at home. As I was moving 

 away, news was brought me of a bear lying asleep in another 

 cave close at hand, creeping up to which in my socks over 

 the burning rocks, and peering down a cleft, I espied a bear 

 lying below at the mouth of an inner cavern, so close to me, 

 that I could have touched it with the muzzle of my rifle. As 

 a few steps would have taken him into the inner cave, I fired 

 at once, almost singeing his fur, a perfect stillness followed, 

 inducing the belief of his instantaneous death. However, 

 to make sure, I stirred him up with a pole, and then look- 

 ing more carefully, I noticed a slight heaving of the body, 

 as if some life still remained, and therefore I dropped down 

 into the cleft some eight feet from above, and with my 

 rifle advanced at full-cock, I cautiously moved forward, the 

 passage being so narrow that I was obliged to slide along 

 sideways ; a nasty situation, if Bruin had a fight left in him, 

 as he could gain the inner cave only by passing over me. I 

 approached to within a yard of him, and then perceived by 

 his regular breathing, that he was very much alive ; so 

 luckily, as the sequel proved, I backed out a little, and climbed 

 up again, and once more stirred him with a pole, without 



