XI 
THE BEAR 
41 
the chupatties, poor old boy ? ” etc. etc. I believe 
thoroughly that the well-known tones of my voice 
restored his confidence far more than the torture of 
the driving-hook, and after a race of about 150 
yards he stopped. “ Now turn him round, give 
him the point sharp, and drive him straight for the 
bear.” The mahout obeyed the order, and we 
soon approached the spot, where the roars and 
howls still continued. My men were up the trees ; 
the shikari had thrown a mighty spear upon the 
ground, and had gone up the branches like a 
squirrel, as he did not see the fun of meeting the 
bear’s charge. 
Before we had time to examine the actual 
condition of affairs, the big bear suddenly dashed 
out again straight at the elephant, and once more 
in a disgraceful panic he took to flight, without 
the possibility, on my part, of taking a shot, when 
the bear thus daringly exposed itself. Again I 
had to comfort Hurri Ram, and by degrees we 
stopped his mad career, and once more returned 
to the scene of his discomfiture. There was a 
slight depression in an open hollow, where high 
grass in swampy ground intervened between two 
sections of the forest. As we advanced, the 
elephant being severely punished by the driving- 
hook and scolded by the mahout, the bear suddenly 
uprose from the high grass, and standing upon 
its hind legs, it faced us at about 40 yards’ distance, 
affording a magnificent chance for a deadly shot. 
Away w^ent Hurri Ram again, whisking round 
