324 The Rifle and~ Hound in Ceylon. 



An elk found on the top of Pedro talla Galla, which 

 rises from the plain of Newera Ellia, will generally run 

 straight down the mountain, and, unless headed, he will 

 frequently come to bay in the river close to the hotel, 

 which is situated at the foot of the mountain. This, 

 however, is not a rule without an exception, as the elk 

 on some occasions takes a totally different direction, 

 and gives a hard day's work. 



It was on the 27th of July, 1852, that I had a run of 

 this kind. It was six A. M. when my youngest brother 

 and I started from the foot of Pedro to ascend the moun- 

 tain. The path is three miles long, through jungle the 

 whole way to the summit. There were fresh tracks of 

 elk near the top of the mountain, the dew lay heavily 

 upon the leaves, and the scent was evidently strong, as 

 Merriman and Ploughboy, the two leading hounds, 

 dashed off upon it, followed by the whole pack. In a 

 few minutes we heard them in full cry about a quarter 

 of a mile from us, going straight down the hill. Giving 

 them a good holloa, we started off down the path at a 

 round pace, and in less than a quarter of an hour we 

 were at the foot of the mountain on the plain. Here 

 we found a number of people who had headed the elk 

 (a fine buck) just as he was breaking cover, and he had 

 turned back, taking off to some other line of country at 

 a great pace, as we could not hear even a whimper. 

 This was enough to make a saint swear, and, blessing 

 heartily the fellows who had headed him, we turned 

 back and retraced our steps up the mountain to listen 

 for the cry of the pack among the numerous ravines 

 which furrow the sides. 



It was of no use : we could hear nothing but the 

 mocking chirp of birds and the roaring of the mountain 



