Pelts 



dant and settled myself to my satisfaction, and 

 shortly afterwards the beat commenced. Two 

 shots followed one another in rapid succession 

 away to the right. I was all attention, but nothing 

 passed me. I subsequently learnt that these shots 



were fired by A . As he was settling down in 



his machan he heard a rustle, and turning casually 

 he saw a bear stroll out of the jungle. He was so 

 flabbergasted at the unexpected sight that he did 

 not seize his rifle till the animal was some way off, 

 and then missed. 



I had sat patiently for some one and a half hours 

 when I heard a pattering rustle, and out walked a 

 fine peacock. Cocking his eye all round, he made 

 up his mind that all was safe and scurried away, 

 passing beneath my machan. As the beaters were 

 now near I thought I might as well have a shot 

 at a bird should one appear at the end of the 

 beat, and so I slipped a shot-cartridge into the 

 second barrel of the smooth-bore. Bitterly did 

 I regret this later. Shortly afterwards I felt a 

 touch on my arm, and turning my head I saw 

 a bear — the first wild bear I had ever seen in its 

 native jungles — bolting past my machan. Had 

 my companion been awake instead of half asleep, 

 he could have warned me of the animal's ap- 

 proach long before it got near the machan. Before 

 I had recovered from my surprise, not only at 

 seeing the animal but also at the marvellously 

 silent manner in which Bruin was getting over 



293 



