110 BEARS. 



to finish her. My Express bullet had landed on her right elbow, it 

 having been drawn back as I fired, splintering it to atoms, and then 

 passing in pieces into her chest. The shock must have been great, for 

 bears with one leg broken generally manage to escape. 



On another occasion, I moved camp, and from, my new quarters, on a 

 high spur, I spotted a red bear very busy, grubbing up roots on a deserted 

 '' g5t " (sheep-yard). A deep valley intervened, and I was looking for bara- 

 singh, so left him alone for two days. Having failed to find deer on that 

 side of the range, I moved over to the bear's haunts, with my usual flying 

 camp of bedding, food, and small servant's tent. On arrival we found 

 our bear at work on another " got," about a quarter of a mile beyond ; he 

 was very busy, as usual, so I was able to make a good stalk by detouring 

 above and behind him. The herbage was so rank on the " got " that on 

 entering it I could see nothing for some time, but at last found Bruin, 

 and leant against a rock while I fired the '450 at him. Somehow I was 

 unsteady, and he bolted on my firing. I seized the '500 double which I 

 had left against the rock loaded, and covered him again ; he stopped and 

 stood up on his hind legs for a better view. The '500 was directed at 

 his chest, over the point of the shoulder, and he dropped dead, with 

 the bullet correctly placed, from about 200 yards. This was a standing 

 shot, with no rest. I found on examination he was the fattest bear I had 

 ever killed, and I keep some of his grease still, for polishing gun-stocks. 

 After skinning we clambered back to the shuldarie. 



On the afternoon of the same day my man found another about half a 

 mile away, amongst some brushwood and high vegetation ; he was a long 

 way below us, and looked like a lady's tiny muff ! "We went after him, 

 and after much sliding and scrambling on a greasy and steep hillside, I 

 sat down to have a good examination of the ground before arranging the 

 stalk. I found the vegetation and brushwood so high and thick that it 

 would be impossible for me to make anything like a noiseless approach 

 through it, so decided I must fire at the animal from above. I moved 

 along the hillside and then down, through some brushwood, until I got 

 seated where I expected to fire from. I could only see his back 

 occasionally, as he moved about amongst the weeds, so waited for some 

 time till he came into a sort of lane through them that ran in a direction 

 away from me. Judging the distance to be 200 yards and more, although 

 a good deal below, I took a very full sight with the single *450 at the 

 back of his head, as he stood tail towards me. I could only just 

 discern him in the shadows of the evening, but on pressing the trigger 

 and the smoke clearing, I saw him unmoved, apparently listening. I 

 reloaded and scanned him with the glasses ; not a move, so at last I 

 decided he was dead in his tracks, and we went down. Dead lie was, for 

 the bullet had penetrated behind and under the right ear, going into the 

 brain and smashing all the skull, &c. ; the effect must have been 

 instantaneous. I consider the bullet hit about three inches to the right 

 of where 1 aimed, but he may have moved his head a little as I fired. 



