224 A Sportswoman in India 



that I must keep up with the rifle, and I did my best, 

 hauled along by the chota shikari. But through such 

 tangled jungle it was no joke moving fast, and a 

 difficult matter to get through some places at all. 

 Left behind once or twice, at last, to my joy, we caught 

 Lalla and S. up, hurrying down into a nullah. In the 

 gloomy shadows it was difficult to see far ; there seemed 

 no traces whatever of the bear. 



By this time the shouting and the tom-toms sounded 

 quite close, the sticks rattled, the beaters could be 

 heard pushing through the bushes. Suddenly, above 

 the yells of the coolies, rang out another cry a shriek 

 of alarm which was instantly taken up on all sides ; 

 the jungle echoed with shout after shout. 



We turned round and saw at once, on the other 

 side of the nullah, another and much larger bear 

 coming along the top. He turned off sideways ; and 

 we saw, to our horror, that one of the " stops " was 

 right in his path. He was unfortunately an old man 

 too, and could not spring quickly aside. Lalla was 

 an idiot to have allowed him to beat. 



What followed was the work of an instant. To 

 shoot would have been even chances on killing the 

 bear or the native. With furious growls the bear 

 sprang towards the half-naked coolie, and springing 

 up at once erect on his hind-feet, he hit the man 

 on the top of the skull a buffet with one great 

 forepaw, with the other he struck the man's up- 

 raised arm, and at the same time bit him in the 

 chest. With agonising shrieks the poor native was 



