A BEAR FIGHT. 
151 
His shaggy opponent at length becoming enraged, 
advanced upon him with a shriek of rage, and extended 
a paw to grasp his hip ; but the Hindoo, with the 
rapidity of lightning, planted a blow upon the bear’s 
cheek, which cut open the skin, and sent Bruin stagger- 
ing several paces backwards. The poor animal seemed 
for a moment stunned with surprise, and before it 
could recover it received another tremendous hit on 
the muzzle, which caused it to turn and run to the 
comer of the enclosure. After shaking its nose and 
sneezing, it once more erected its body, having now 
its back supported by the bamboo railings. The man 
tried by all sorts of gesticulations, suddenly retreat- 
ing and falling down, to draw his adversary from 
its position, but in vain. The animal was evidently 
aware of the advantage of presenting to its antagonist 
only one point of attack, and therefore would not 
budge from its corner ; but, covering its head with its 
large shaggy paws, the Hindoo champion found it ex- 
tremely difficult to deliver a blow where it would be 
likely to be effectual. Finding that he could not 
rouse the bear, he sprang forward and gave it a 
smart kick in the flank : this caused the animal 
suddenly to depress its paws ; in an instant, 
the jetty was rattling on its head with a severity 
which caused it to yell for several seconds. It now 
lay on the earth with its muzzle in the corner, 
and its back towards its conqueror, who, disdaining 
to strike a fallen enemy, made his salaam to the 
spectators with a grace peculiar to all the Eastern races, 
and retired from the scene of combat amidst their 
unanimous acclamations. The bear was a good deal 
