154 WILD ANIMALS. 



meal of that), enjoying himself, apparently as if nothing had 

 happened." 



How easily that youth's ignorance might have made him a 

 victim of a tragedy can be gleaned from the narration of the 

 following sad accident which happened in Berne, in March, 1861, 

 and caused considerable sensation at the time. The victim was 

 a young English oflScer who had served with distinction in the 

 Crimea. The Times states that " On the 7th inst. Captain Lorts 

 took a walk after dinner in Berne with the Secretary of the 

 Embassy and visited the bear-pits. The pib was separated into 

 two compartments : in one was a he-bear, arid in the other the 

 female and several cubs. While bending over the railing. Captain 

 Lorts overbalanced himself and fell over into that part of the pit 

 in which the old bear was confined, breaking his arm in the fall. 

 One hour elapsed before any assistance was obtained and brought 

 to the spot. Efforts were made to hoist him up with ropes ; up 

 to this, the bear, although a savage animal, did not attempt to 

 injure him, but while he was half-way up the bear attacked him 

 and tore him down, and, after a terrible struggle of nearly an 

 hour's duration, the captain was killed. One of the party of 

 Englishmen would have jumped into the pit to his friend's aid 

 had he not been forcibly restrained by the bystanders. A police- 

 man, against whom the greatest indignation was expressed, re- ' 

 fused to render any assistance or even give up his gun to others 

 for that purpose." 



