ig6 Ways of Wood Folk. 



more comical. Simmo, my Indian guide, tells me that 

 the cubs will sometimes run away and hide when 

 they hear the mother bear returning. No amount of 

 coaxing or of anxious fear on her part will bring them 

 back, till she searches diligently to find them. 



Once only have I had opportunity to see the young 

 at play. There were two of them, nearly full-grown, 

 with the mother. The most curious thing was to see 

 them stand up on their hind legs and cuff each other 

 soundly, striking and warding like trained boxers. 

 Then they would lock arms and wrestle desperately 

 till one was thrown, when the other promptly seized 

 him by throat or paw, and pretended to growl fright- 

 fully. 



They were well fed, evidently, and full of good 

 spirits as two boys. But the mother was cross and 

 out of sorts. She kept moving about uneasily, as if 

 the rough play irritated her nerves. Occasionally, as 

 she sat for a moment with hind legs stretched out 

 flat and fore paws planted between them, one of the 

 cubs would approach and attempt some monkey play. 

 A sound cuff on the ear invariably sent him whimper- 

 ing back to his companion, who looked droll enough 

 the while, sitting with his tongue out and his head 

 wagging humorously as he watched the experiment. 

 It was getting toward the time of year when she 

 would mate again, and send them off into the world 



