200 SPORT AND TRAVEL 



the most excited of all, continued his circular course 

 inside the line of beaters, as regularly as a planet 

 on its accustomed orb. 



I was now afraid that unless I should stop him, 

 he might escape through the line ; and working up 

 a little nearer, I fired several shots, each of which I 

 afterwards found took effect. The bear was now 

 thoroughly maddened, and suddenly changing his 

 course came lumbering down the nullah directly 

 toward me. The shikaris shouted to look out, while 

 the beaters redoubled their cries and added to the 

 confusion and my fear of shooting wild by follow- 

 ing the animal down hill. The thick underbrush 

 annoyed me greatly, for though I could catch an 

 occasional glimpse of his back, it was almost impos- 

 sible when I saw him to fire quickly enough, and I 

 knew that in a moment he would be on me. He was 

 within four yards when a final shot sent him on his 

 back, and brought him rolling almost to my feet, 

 quite dead. 



My faith in the .450 express was distinctly dimin- 

 ished when eleven holes were found in his skin. He 

 was shot through and through, five shots at least 

 having passed completely through and out of his 

 body. I had used lead-nosed steel bullets, and the 

 only explanation was that every shot had merely 

 gone through the soft parts, missing any large bone 



