122 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. 



he soon did, and hauled it to the shore ; and having re- 

 loaded, I proceeded to examine the hits on the dead 

 buffaloes. It was fortunate that I had reloaded ; for I 

 had no sooner approached to within three or four yards 

 of the cow that I had left dying, when she suddenly 

 sprang to her feet and would have charged, had I not 

 killed her by a ball in the head from a light double- 

 barrel that I was then carrying. These animals had 

 shown as good sport as I had ever witnessed in buffalo- 

 shooting, but the two heavy rifles were fearful odds 

 against them, and they were added to the list of the 

 slain. It was now late in the evening, and I had had 

 a long day's work in a broiling sun. I had bagged ten 

 buffaloes, including the calf, and having cut a fillet 

 from the latter, I took a gun, loaded with shot, from 

 my horsekeeper, and gave up ball-shooting, having 

 turned my attention to a large flock of teal, which I 

 had disturbed in attacking the buffaloes. This flock I 

 had marked down in a small stream which flowed into 

 the lake. A cautious approach upon my hands and 

 knees, through the grass, brought me undiscovered to 

 the bank of the stream, where, in a small bay, it emp- 

 tied itself into the lake, and a flock of about eighty teal 

 were swimming among the water-lilies within twenty 

 yards of me. I fired one barrel on the water, and the 

 other in the air as they rose, killing five and wounding 

 a sixth, which escaped by continual diving. On my 

 way home I killed a few snipe, till at length the cessa- 

 tion of daylight put an end to all shooting. 



The moon was full and shone over the lake with 

 great brilliancy ; the air was cfcol and refreshing after 

 the great heat of the day ; and the chirp of the snipe 

 and whistling sound of the wildfowl on the lake were 



