80 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. 



great head from side to side and flapping his ears in 

 the enjoyment of his bath. I left the tree with my four- 

 ounce rifle, and, keeping in a direct line for his hind- 

 quarters, I walked toward him. The grass was soft 

 and short ; I could therefore approach without the 

 slightest noise : the only danger in being discovered 

 was in the chance that I might be seen as he swung his 

 head continually on either side. This I avoided by 

 altering my course as I saw his head in the act of 

 coming round, and I soon stood on the edge of the lake 

 exactly behind him, at about a hundred and twenty 

 yards. He was a noble-looking fellow, every inch a 

 rogue, his head almost white with numerous flesh- 

 colored spots. These give a savage and disgusting 

 appearance to an elephant, and altogether he looked a 

 formidable opponent. I had intended to shout on 

 arriving at my present position, and then to wait, for 

 the front shot as he charged ; but on looking back to 

 the tamarind tree and my proposed course for retreat, 

 the distance appeared so great, rendered still more diffi- 

 cult by a gradual ascent, that I felt it would be impos- 

 sible to escape if my chance lay in running. I hardly 

 knew what to do ; I had evidently caught a " Tartar." 

 His head was perpetually swinging to and fro, and 

 I was of course accordingly altering my position to 

 avoid his eye. At one of these half turns he flapped 

 his right ear just as his head came round, and I ob- 

 served a perfectly white mark, the size of a saucer, be- 

 hind the ear, in the exact spot for a fatal shot. I at 

 once determined to try it, even at this distance ; at all 

 events if it failed and he should charge, I had a fair 

 start, and by getting the spare gun from the tamarind- 

 tree I could make a defence at the cover. 



