268 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon, 



We had halted in a grassy glade surrounded by thick 

 jungle. There were numerous fresh tracks of deer and 

 elk, but the animals themselves would not show. 



As evening approached we collected a quantity of 

 dead timber and lighted a good fire, before which we 

 piled the rifles, three and three, about ten feet apart. 

 Across these we laid a pole, and then piled branches 

 from the ground to the pole in a horizontal position. 

 This made a shed to protect us from the dew, and, 

 with our saddles for pillows, we all lay down together 

 and slept soundly till morning. 



Nov. 28. We woke hungry, and accordingly tight- 

 ened our belts by two or three holes. V. Baker had to 

 be in Kandy by the evening of the 3Oth, and he was 

 now determined to push on. His pony had thrown all 

 his shoes, and had eaten nothing but grass for many 

 days. 



I knew our position well, as I had been lost near this 

 spot about two years ago. We were fifty-three miles 

 from Badulla. Nevertheless, V. B. started off, and 

 arrived in Badulla that evening. On the same pony he 

 pushed on to Newera Ellia, thirty-six miles, the next 

 day, and then taking a fresh horse, he rode into Kandy, 

 forty-seven miles, arriving in good time on the evening 

 of the 3oth November. 



Having parted with V. B., we saddled and mounted, 

 and, following our guide through a forest-path, we ar- 

 rived at Curhellulai after a ride of four miles. Noth- 

 ing could exceed the wretchedness of this place, from 

 which we had been led to expect so much. We could 

 not even procure a grain of rice from the few small 

 huts which composed the village. The headman, who 

 himself looked half-starved, made some cakes of kor- 



