Shardik by Richard Adams Page A

through the bushes and how it had winced in pain when it scraped its side against the tree. Huge and fearsome though it was, there had been something pitiable about the creature he had seen. If he were right and it had been hurt in some way, it would be more than dangerous to approach. He had better put out of his mind for the moment all thought of Shardik the Power of God, and address himself to the daunting task - surely sufficient to the day, if ever a task was - of finding Shardik the bear.
    Returning to the Tuginda and the Baron, he told them how he read the signs of the forest. Then he suggested that for a start, they might go over the ground which he had covered two days before, and so come to the place where he had first seen the bear. He showed them where he had come ashore and how he had tried to slip unseen past the leopard and then to walk away from it. They made their way inland among the bushes, followed by Melathys and the girl Sheldra,
    Since they had left the camp Melathys had spoken scarcely a word. Glancing behind him, Kelderek saw her drawn face, very pale in the heat, as she lifted a trembling hand to wipe the sweat from her temples. He felt full of pity for her. What work was this for a beautiful young woman, to take part in tracking an injured bear? It would have been better to have left her in the camp and to have brought a second girl from among the servants; one dour and stolid as Sheldra, who looked as though she would not notice a bear if it stood on her toe.
    As they approached the foot of the hill he led the way through the thicker undergrowth to the place where he had wounded the leopard. By chance he came upon his arrow and, picking it up, fitted the notch to the string of the bow he was carrying. He drew the bow a little , frowning uneasily, for he disliked it and missed his own. This was the bow of one of the girls - too light and pliant: he might have saved himself the trouble of bringing it. He wondered what that surly fool Taphro had done with his bow. ‘If ever we get back,’ he thought, ‘I’ll ask the Baron to order it to be restored to me.’
    They went on cautio usly. ‘This is where I fell, sa iyett,’ he whispered, ‘and see, here are the marks the leopard made.’
    ‘And the bear? ’ asked the Tuginda, speaking as quietly as he.
    ‘He stood below, saiyett,’ replied Kelderek, pointing down the bank, ‘but he did not need to reach up to strike the leopard. He struck sideways - thus .’
    The Tuginda gazed down the extent of the steep bank, drew in her breath and looked first at Bel-ka-Trazet and then back at the hunter.
    ‘Are you sure?’ she asked.
    ‘The leopard, as it crouched, was looking upwards into the bear’s face, saiyett,’ replied Kelderek . ‘I can see it still, and the white fur beneath its chin.’
    The Tuginda was silent, as though trying to imagine more clearly the gigantic figure that had reared itself, brisding and snarling, above the level of the ban k on which they stood. At length she said to Bel -ka-Trazet,
    ‘Is it possible?’
    ‘I would think not, saiyett ,’ replied the Baron, shrugging his shoulders.
    ‘Well, let us go down,’ she said. Kelderek offered her his arm, but she gestured to him to turn back for Melathys . The priestess’s breathing was quick and irregular and she leaned hard on him, hesitating at every step. When they reached the foot of the bank she set her back against a tree, bit her lip and closed her eyes. He was about to speak to her when the Tuginda laid a hand on his shoulder.
    ‘You did not sec the bear again after it left you here?’
    ‘No, saiyett,’ he replied. ‘That’s the way it went - through those bushes.’ He went across to the tree agains t which the bear had scraped its injured side. ‘It has not returned this way.’ He paused a few moments and then, trying to speak calmly, asked, ‘Am I to track it now?’
    ‘We must find the bear if we can, Kelderek . Why else have we come?’
    ‘Then,