lace which I had fixed upon
as likely to be the bears' home.

"'Sahib, climb up top,' Rahman said; 'come down through wood; no good
fire at bear when he above.'

"I had heard that before; but I was hot, the sun was pouring down, there
was not a breath of wind, and it looked a long way up to the top of the
wood.

"'Give me the claret. It would take too long to search the wood
regularly. We will sit down here for a bit, and if we can see anything
moving up in the wood, well and good; if not, we will come back again
another day with some beaters and dogs.' So saying, I sat down with my
back against a rock, at a spot where I could look up among the trees for
a long way through a natural vista. I had a drink of claret, and then I
sat and watched till gradually I dropped off to sleep. I don't know how
long I slept, but it was some time, and I woke up with a sudden start.
Rahman, who had, I fancy, been asleep too, also started up.

[Illustration: "MY GUN, RAHMAN," I SHOUTED.]

"The noise which had aroused us was made by a rolling stone striking a
rock; and looking up I saw some fifty yards away, not in the wood, but
on the rocky hillside on our side of the ravine, a bear standing, as
though unconscious of our presence, snuffing the air. As was natural, I
seized my rifle, cocked it, and took aim, unheeding a cry of 'No, no,
sahib,' from Rahman. However, I was not going to miss such a chance as
this, and I let fly. The beast had been standing sideways to me, and as
I saw him fall I felt sure I had hit him in the heart. I gave a shout of
triumph, and was about to climb up, when, from behind the rock on which
the bear had stood, appeared another growling fiercely; on seeing me, it
at once prepared to come down. Stupidly, being taken by surprise, and
being new at it, I fired at once at its head. The bear gave a spring,
and then--it seemed instantaneous--down it came at me. Whether it rolled
down, or slipped down, or ran down, I don't know, but it came almost as
if it had jumped straight at me.

"'My gun, Rahman,' I shouted, holding out my hand. There was no answer.
I glanced round, and found that the scoundrel had bolted. I had time,
and only just time, to take a step backwards, and to club my rifle, when
the brute was upon me. I got one fair blow at the side of its head, a
blow that would have smashed the skull of any civilized beast into
pieces, and which did fortunately break the brute's jaw; then in an
instant he was upo