4i8 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS 
CHAP. 
tree so as to form a horizontal rail in front of our 
seat; a similar cut at the back of another sapling 
about 3 inches thick, facing the stem already 
laid, and that was also pressed down to interlace 
with the branches of the prostrate tree. This makes 
a screen which can be rendered still more opaque 
by the addition of a few green boughs. 
The grass was parched to a bright straw colour, 
and was about 4 feet high. As the beaters 
approached, a bear rushed forward and passed 
within 15 paces of Zahur. He fired; the bear 
emitted a short growl and passed on. 
I assisted in tracking this animal by the blood 
upon the grass. Zahur described the shot he 
had taken as oblique; as the bear had passed him, 
therefore the bullet must have struck either the 
hindquarters full, or the thigh. 
We found a teak tree about 14 inches in 
diameter covered with small pieces of flesh 
resembling sausage-meat, for a height of 6 feet 
from the ground. The yellow grass at the foot 
of this tree was covered with blood, and many 
minute fragments of flesh adhered to the leaves. 
Searching the place carefully, we picked up two 
pieces of bone covered with blood; these were 
very thick and strong, the larger fragment being 
2\ inches in length and i inch in width, evidently 
pieces belonging to the upper portion of the thigh. 
After tracking the wounded bear for about 200 
yards through the high grass and jungle, we 
came to a tolerably deep nullah, where we 
