66 THE IMAGE OF WAE 



deceived ? Surely not. Yet something tells me 

 not to fire. At last I aim and whistle. Not a 

 movement ; and then the horns gradually dissolve 

 into branches, the outline of the limbs is made by 

 growing trees and a stump, the very sparkle of the 

 eye proves to be a dewdrop. It is almost difficult 

 now to distinguish the outlines which had so nearly 

 deceived me. 



Hark ! a shot from the beaters and a shout recall 

 me from my reflections on optical delusions ; and I 

 hear something coming hastily through the bushes. 

 A spotted stag with his antlers laid back springs 

 into the path, only to go down with a broken 

 shoulder. Running up to him, I perform the last 

 rites. Before the end of the beat a porcupine, with 

 his ridiculous quills rattling with wrath, bustles into 

 the path. He is good to eat and a deadly enemy 

 to the young cocoa - nut trees, so he gets the 

 contents of a barrel in his head. 



I will not go on to recount the incidents of the 

 day. Suffice it to say that the bag was made up 

 of three " spotted deer " {Axis maculata), one " red 

 deer," one porcupine, sundry hares, and a diminutive 

 pig — which last, greatly to his delight, fell to our 

 host's " breech-loading rifle." 



When we had finished, we dismissed our host ^ 

 and made for our camp. I had omitted to say that 

 our good friend the Government Agent at .Negombo 

 had kindly sent his travelling bullock - cart out for 

 our use. It was a most comfortable affair, with a 

 painted roof and long enough to sleep in. Before 



^ In the East it is always the etiquette for Europeans to dismiss natives 

 of however exalted rank at the end of an interview. In fact no native 

 thinks of leaving till told he may do so. 



