time he was first espied--
or longer, perhaps--he would be in a condition to stay in the tree,
until their patience should be more than exhausted.

True, they might fell the tree: they had an axe, and could soon cut the
tree down--as the wood was soft; but the Dyak alleged that the bruang in
such cases usually contrives to escape. The tapang rarely falls all the
way, but only upon the tops of the trees that stand thickly round; and
as the Bornean bear can climb and cling like a monkey, he is never
shaken out of the branches, but springs from them into some other tree--
among the thick leaves of which he may conceal himself; or, by getting
to the ground, manage to steal off.

His advice, therefore, was, that the hunters should conceal themselves
behind the trunks of the surrounding trees; and, observing silence, wait
till the bruang had finished his mellifluous repast, and feel inclined
to come down. The Dyak said he would make his descent stern foremost;
and, if they acted cautiously, they might have him at their mercy, and
almost at the muzzles of their guns.

There was only one of the three who was not agreeable to this plan; and
that was the impatient Ivan; but, overruled by the advice of his
brother, he also gave his consent to it.

The three now took their respective stands behind three trees--that
formed a sort of triangle around the tapang; and the guide, who had no
gun, placed himself apart--holding his kris in readiness to finish off
the bear, should the animal be only wounded.

There was no danger to be dreaded from the encounter. The little bear
of Borneo is only dangerous to the bees and white ants--or other
insects--which he is accustomed to lick up with his long tongue. The
human hunter has nothing to fear from him, any more than from a timid
deer--though he will scratch, and growl, and bite, if too closely
approached.

It was just as the Dyak had predicted. The bruang, having finished his
meal, was seen coming down the tree tail foremost; and in this way would
no doubt have continued on to the ground; but, before he had got halfway
down the trunk, Ivan's impatience got the better of him; and the loud
bang of his fowling-piece filled the forest with its echoes. Of course
it was a bullet that Ivan had fired; and it appeared that he had missed.
It was of little use firing also his shot barrel, though he did so
immediately after.

The effect of his shots was to frighten the bruang back up the t