XI 
THE BEAR 
415 
the late General Valentine Baker, was riding with 
me through the jungles in the district called “The 
Park.” I had been caught by a rogue elephant 
a few days before, and my right thigh was so 
damaged that I could only walk a few yards with 
difficulty. Suddenly the man who walked before 
my horse ran back, and shouted “Wallahah, 
Wallahah ” (Bears, Bears), and we caught sight 
of some large black object rushing through the 
jungle, close to our horses’ heads. Valentine 
Baker jumped nimbly off, and I heard a shot 
almost immediately; my wounded leg was 
perfectly numbed, and I had no feeling in my 
foot; therefore, as it touched the ground without 
sensation, I fell over on my back. Gathering 
myself together, I managed to run in chase, 
and I shortly found myself close to the retreating 
heels of two bears that were trotting through the 
dense underwood. One of these brutes, feeling 
that it was pursued, turned quickly round, and 
immediately jumped upon the muzzle of my gun, 
which I fired into its stomach and rolled it over. 
I now heard my brother shouting my name at only 
a few yards’ distance; running towards him, as 
I feared some accident, I found a large bear 
half lying and half sitting upon the ground, 
growling and biting at the hard-wood loading-rod 
which V. Baker had thrust into a bullet wound 
behind its shoulder; he seemed surprised that the 
bear would not die at once. This was exceedingly 
dangerous, as the animal might have recovered 
