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.

"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 upon me, and I was fighting for life. My hunting knife was out, and
with my left hand I had the beast by the throat; while with my right I
tried to drive my knife into its ribs. My bullet had gone through his
chest. The impetus of his charge bad knocked me over, and we rolled on
the ground, he tearing with h