Part 25 (1/2)

THE TIBET BEAR

For full two hours sat Karl, chewing the cud of i he experienced was only one of irin at being in such a scrape, and having got himself into it in so simple a manner He had no very painful apprehensions about the result--since he made quite sure that his coht not find hiht upon the ledge This, however, would be no great hardshi+p He ht have to sleep in the cave, but what of that to one so inured to hunger, and to sleeping in the open air, as he was? Even had there been no shelter, he could have stretched hi it

Certainly in the uide theain

Such was the reasoning of Karl, and therefore, knowing that he had but little to fear, he was not acutely anxious

While he was thus co with himself, however, his eyes rested upon an object that rendered hihtened, would be nearer the words

His ears first guided hie, and not saying a word, he heard a sound that resembled the snort of a jackass, just as one coreat distance from the bottom of the cliff, and it was from the midst of these bushes the sound appeared to proceed

After hearing the snort, Karl kept both eyes and ears acutely bent--the former fixed upon the bushes; and in a h he did not see the creature that uttered it He saever, by the h the thicket; and the loud snapping of dead sticks, and crackling of branches, proved that it was an ani in doubt as to the die beast eround

It required no skill to tell what sort of animal it was--a bear beyond the probability of a doubt--and yet it was of a species that Karl had never before seen But there is such a similitude between the members of the Bruin tribe, that he who has ever seen one--and who has not?-- will easily recognise all the rest of the family

The one which now presented itself to the observation of our plant-hunter, was of reat polar bear, or the ”grizzly” of the Rocky Mountains, but larger than the Bornean species, or the sun-bear of the Malays It was scarce so large as the singular sloth-bear, which they had encountered near the foot of the mountains, and hich they had had such a ludicrous adventure

It was but little less, however, than the ”sloth,” and, like it, was of a deep black colour, though its hair was neither so long nor shaggy

Like the latter, too, its under lip hitish, with a whitea Y--the ste placed upon theup in front of the shoulders--for this is a s to several species of Southern Asiatic bears In other respects the bear in question was peculiar It had a neck remarkably thick; a flattened head, with the forehead and ht line--and on this account distinguishi+ng it from the sloth-bear, in which the forehead rises almost abruptly froe size--its body compact, supported on stout but clumsy limbs--and its feet armed with claws of moderate dis of the bear now before the eyes of Karl; and although he had never seen one of the kind before, he had read of one; and by these peculiarities he was able to recognise the species

It was the Tibet bear (_Ursus Tibetanus_)--more commonly styled by closet-naturalists _Helarctos Tibetanus_--one of the bears that inhabit the high table-lands of Tibet, and is supposed to range through the whole of the Upper Himalayas, since it has been found in Nepaul and elsewhere

I have said that Karl was badly frightened with this black apparition

This was at the first sight of it, as it ca that he was so There is no one,-- not even a bear-hunter hiround without feeling a little tre of the nerves; but when it is reun at the bottom of the cliff--it will not be wondered at, that the appearance of the bear caused hiht, however, was of short duration; and for two reasons First, he re read that this species of bear is of a harmless disposition; that it is not carnivorous, but feeds only on fruits, and in no instance has it been known to attack man unless ounded or assailed Then, of course, it will defend itself, as entle and harht was, that he chanced to be in such a position that it was not likely the bear would attempt to come near him He was quite out of its way; and if he only kept silent--which he would be careful to do--the aniain without perceiving him In hope that such would be the result, Karl sat without stirring, and kept as quiet as ahis hopes on a false foundation The bear had no notion of going off as it had co about over the stones--now and then uttering the same asinine snort that had first called attention to it-- it ht forward to the cliff, just under the spot where Karl was seated Then, rearing its body erect, and placing its fore-paws against the rock, it looked up into the face of the astonished plant-hunter!

CHAPTER FORTY NINE

AN AWKWARD DESCENT

It is probable that the bear at this h perhaps not so badly scared Ithiround, and appeared for a moment undecided as to whether it should turn tail and run back into the thicket It did actuallyup; and then, as if it had got over its surprise, and was no longer afraid, it onceupward

On first perceiving the bear, Karl had been seated upon the ledge, just above the path by which he had climbed up, and it was by this path that the ani its intention, Karl sprang to his feet, and set to dancing about on the ledge, uncertain what to do, or whither to flee

As to opposing the ascent of the bear, he did not think of such a thing

He had no weapons,--not even a knife; and had he atteth alone, he very well knew that the struggle would end either by his being hugged to death in the are and crushed to ato on the defence--he thought only of retreating

But hoas he to retreat? whither was he to run? It would be of little use going along the ledge, since the bear could easily follow hiht as well keep his ground and receive the assault where he stood

Karl was still hesitating what to do, and the bear had co up, when he chanced to reht conceal himself in the cave?

He had no time to consider whether or not this would be a prudent step