236 The Rijle and Hound in Ceylon. 



On the i6th of October, 1852, I started with a very 

 short pack. Lucifer was left in the kennel lame ; Lena 

 was at home with her pups ; and several other dogs 

 were sick. Smut and Bran were the only two seizers 

 out that day, and, being short-handed, I determined to 

 hunt in the moi'e green country at the foot of Hackgalla 

 mountain. 



My brother and I had entered the jungle with the 

 dogs, and before we had proceeded a hundred yards we 

 heard a fierce bay, every dog having joined. The bay 

 was not a quarter of a mile distant, and we were puz- 

 zled as to the character of the game : whatever it was, 

 it had stood to bay without a run. Returning to the 

 patina, in which position we could distinctly assure 

 ourselves of the direction, we heard the bay broken, 

 and a slow run commenced. The next instant Bran 

 came hobbling out of the jungle covered with blood, 

 which streamed from a frightful gash in his hind quar- 

 ters. There was no more doubt remaining as to the 

 game at bay ; it was an enormous boar. 



Bran was completely hors de combat', and Smut, 

 having lost nearly all his teeth, was of no use single- 

 handed with such an enemy. We had no seizers to 

 depend upon, and the boar again stood to bay in a thick 

 jungle. 



I happened to ha've a rifle with me that morning, as 

 I had noticed fresh elephant-tracks in the neighborhood 

 a few days previous, and, hoping to be able to shoot 

 the boar, we entered the jungle and approached the 

 scene of the bay. ' : 



When within twenty paces of the spot I heard his 

 fierce grunting as he charged right and left into the bay- 

 ing pack. In vain I cheered them on. I heard no signs 



