206 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. 



On arrival at the tent, we found Banda and the 

 trackers. 



There could not be a better exemplification of a 

 rogue than in this case. A short distance apart from 

 the herd he had concealed himself in the jungle, from 

 which position he had witnessed the destruction of his 

 mates. He had not stirred a foot until he saw us 

 totally unprepai'ed, when he instantly seized the op- 

 portunity and dashed out upon me. If I had attempted 

 to run from him, I should have been killed, as he would 

 have struck me in the back ; my only chance was in 

 the course which I pursued to wait quietly until he 

 was just over me, and then to jump on one side : lie 

 thus struck me on the thickest part of the thigh instead 

 of striking me in the stomach, which he must have 

 done had I remained in my first position ; this would 

 have killed me on the spot. 



I passed an uncomfortable night, my leg being very 

 painful and covered with wet bandages of vinegar and 

 water. The bruise came out from my ankle to my 

 hip ; the skin was broken where the tusk had struck 

 me ; and the blood had started under the skin over a 

 surface of nearly a foot, making the bruise a bright 

 purple, and giving the whole affair a most unpleasant 

 appearance. The next morning I could not move my 

 leg, which felt like a sack of sand, and was perfectly 

 numbed ; however, I kept on a succession of cold lo- 

 tions, and after breakfast I was assisted upon my horse, 

 and we moved the encampment to Nielgalla. On the 

 following day I could just manage to hobble along, my 

 leg being at least double its usual size, and threatening 

 to spoil my sport for the whole ti - ip. 



We were seated at breakfast when a native came in, 



