n8 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. 



get ; a black spot upon the bright surface of the lake, 

 although there was not more than eighteen inches of 

 his body above the water. I rode to the very edge of 

 the lake, and then dismounting, I took a rest upon my 

 saddle. My horse, being well accustomed to this work, 

 stood like a statue, but the ball dapped in the water just 

 beyond the mark. The buffalo did not move an inch 

 until the third shot. This hit him, and he swam still 

 farther off; but he soon got his footing, and again gave 

 a fair mark as before. I missed him again, having 

 fired a little over him. The fifth shot brought luck and 

 sank him. I do not know where he was hit, as of 

 course I could not get to him ; but most likely it was in 

 the spine, as so small a portion of his body was above 

 water. 



I passed nearly the whole day in practicing at long 

 ranges, but with no very satisfactory effect ; several buffa- 

 loes badly wounded had reached the jungle, and my 

 shoulder was so sore from the recoil of the heavy rifle 

 during several days' shooting with the large charge of 

 powder that I was obliged to reduce the charge to six 

 drachms and give up the long shots. 



It was late in the afternoon, and the heat of the 

 day had been intense. I was very hungry, not having 

 breakfasted, and I made up my mind to return to the 

 tent, which was now some eight miles distant. I was 

 riding over the plain on my way home, when I saw a 

 fine bull spring from a swampy hollow and gallop off. 

 Putting spurs to my horse, I was soon after him, carry- 

 ing the four-ounce rifle; and upon seeing himself pur- 

 sued, he took shelter in a low but dry hollow, which 

 was a mass of lofty bulrush and coarse tangled grass, 

 rising about ten feet high in an impervious mass. This 



