294 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. 



four-ounce ball stopped him, and away he went again 

 with the herd at full speed, the blood gushing in streams 

 from the wounds in his head. 



My four-ounce is a splendid rifle for loading quickly, 

 it being so thick- in the metal that the deep groove 

 catches the belt of the ball immediately. I was loaded 

 in a few seconds, and again set off in pursuit. I saw 

 the herd at about two hundred yards distant ; they had 

 halted, and they had again faced about. 



I had no sooner approached within sixty paces of 

 them, when the wounded elephant gave a trumpet, and 

 again rushed forward out of the herd. His head was 

 so covered with blood, and was still thrown back in 

 such a peculiar position, that I could not get a shot at 

 the exact mark. Again the four-ounce crashed through 

 his skull, and, staggered with the blow, he once more 

 turned and retreated with the herd. 



Loading quickly, I poured the powder down ad lib- 

 itum, and ran after the herd, who had made a circuit 

 to arrive in the same forest in which we had first found 

 them. A sharp run brought me up to them ; but, upon 

 seeing me, they immediately stopped, and, without a 

 moment's pause, round came my old antagonist again 

 straight at me, with his head still raised in the same 

 knowing position. The charge of powder was so great 

 that it went off like a young fieldpiece, and the ele- 

 phant fell upon his knees ; but, again recovering him- 

 self, he turned and went off at such a pace that he left 

 the herd behind, and in a few minutes I was within 

 twenty yards of them ; but I would not fire, as I was 

 determined to bag my wounded bird before I fired a 

 single shot at another. 



They now readied the forest, but, instead of retreat 



