128 A Sportswoman in India 



of a tree, and emerging into open country, we sat on 

 some rocks in the sun and despatched sandwiches, 

 biscuits, and cold tea with a witt. 



We then set off to try and see more red bear ; 

 but whether any turned up or not, it was worth 

 anything merely to be alive in such a country : the 

 dazzling blue sky above us ; the white, glittering 

 snow-peaks around ; here and there a frozen nullah 

 or a snow-slope to cross; the crisp grass under our 

 feet ; the grey crags ; the cold, sparkling streams at 

 which we drank ; the warm sun we basked in through 

 midday ; the intoxicating air : what a life it was to 

 lead alone upon the roof-tops of the world ! 



It was not till quite late, and after much clambering, 

 that we came across two bears lying asleep upon a 

 flat rock. We stalked them for a mile with great 

 patience ; but on getting within range they moved 

 and began feeding down a slope. After much stalking 

 we managed to get within eighty yards of them, and 

 M. rudely aroused the larger of the two with a 

 bullet which must have shaved the hair on his shoulder. 

 Unfortunately, it did nothing more ; and S. missed 

 the other a running shot. This was bad luck or bad 

 shooting ! We followed the bigger and the darker of 

 the two, who had made over a nullah, and struggled 

 after him, backwards and forwards, for miles seeing 

 him and making fresh efforts ; losing sight of him and 

 coming across him again, always out of shot. Finally, 

 we were obliged to give it up and to leave our bhalu 

 to his native fastnesses, ourselves tired out. The 



