106 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. 



difficult. Several large trees and a few bushes grew 

 upon the surface, but for the most part it was covered 

 by a short though luxuriant grass. One large tree grew 

 within fifty yards of the extreme. point of the promon- 

 tory, and another of the same kind grew at an equal 

 distance from it, but nearer to the main land. Upon 

 both these trees was a coat of thick mud not many 

 hours old. The bark was rubbed completely away, 

 and this appeared to have been used for years as a 

 favorite rubbing-post by some immense elephant. The 

 mud reached full twelve feet up the trunk of the tree, 

 and* there were old marks far above this which had 

 been scored by his tushes. There w t as no doubt that 

 one of these tank rogues of extraordinary size had 

 frequented this spot for years, and still continued to do 

 so, the mud upon the tree being still soft, as'though it 

 had been left there that morning. I already coveted 

 him, and having my telescope with me, I took a 

 minute survey of the opposite shore, which was about 

 half a mile distant and was lined with fine open forest 

 to the water's edge. Nothing was visible. I examined 

 the other side of the lake with the same want of success. 

 Although it was such a quiet spot, with beautiful grass 

 and water, there was not a single head of game to be 

 seen. Again I scrutinized the opposite shore. The 

 glass was no sooner raised to my eye than I started at 

 the unexpected apparition. There was no mistaking 

 him ; he had appeared as though by magic an ele- 

 phant of the most extraordinary size that I have ever 

 seen. He was not still for an instant, but was stalking 

 quickly up and down the edge of the lake as though in 

 great agitation. This restlessness is one of the chief 

 characteristics of a bad rogue. I watched him for a 



