4o6 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS 
CHAP. 
have killed the bear, but it happened to be exceed¬ 
ingly light, and had very little effect. 
My shikari Kerim Bux, who was a very powerful 
man, had a serious encounter with a bear, which 
seized his master, and immediately turned upon 
him when he rushed unarmed to his assistance; the 
bear seized him by the leg, but in the wrestling 
match which ensued, Kerim came off victor, 
although badly bitten, as he threw the bear over 
a precipice, upon the edge of which the struggle 
had taken place. This man was head constable 
in the police, and bore a very high reputation. 
The Ursus labiatus being one of the most 
vicious animals, I have seen it upon two occasions 
attack an elephant, one of which was quite un¬ 
provoked. 
We had been driving jungle for sambur deer in 
the Balaghat district, and instead of posting myself 
upon a mucharn, or occupying any fixed position, I 
remained upon my elephant Hurri Ram. This 
was a tusker that had been lent to me by the 
Government upon two occasions, and he was so 
good-tempered, and active in making his way over 
bad ground in steep forests, that I determined to 
try him as a shooting elephant. I took my stand 
upon the open grass-land, which was beautifully 
undulating, and would have made a handsome park. 
Standing behind a bush we were partially con¬ 
cealed, and I waited in expectation that some 
animals might break covert in my direction. 
Presently I saw a dark object running through the 
