202 THE IMAGE OF WAR 



happened that there were only those out whom I 

 had converted to my Ideas. Then the guns were 

 left in the dog-carts ; and by degrees we began to 

 kill hares fairly. Having progressed so far, and got 

 good promises of support, I called a meeting. I pro- 

 posed three things : the abolition of all shooting; the 

 keeping of the hounds in kennel — volunteering myself 

 to find kennels ; and purchase of additional hounds. 

 After some discussion I carried all three resolutions. 

 I had an old building at the back of my bungalow 

 which made a capital kennel, and I soon trained a 

 Tamil lad into a useful whipper-in. 



On Christmas Day the meet was fixed at Gangarua. 

 This is one of the oldest of Ceylon estates, which, 

 having failed successively as a coffee and a sugar 

 estate, was then holding out hopes of great promise 

 in cacao. What made it especially desirable for 

 beagles was that acres of it were planted with 

 guinea - grass, nearly the whole being clear open 

 going. To the north ran jungle - clad hills, while 

 on two sides it was bounded by the great river 

 Mahawelliganga, first of Ceylon rivers. The manager 

 was a thorough sportsman. Unfortunately lame in 

 his old age, he managed to see a wonderful deal of 

 the fun in a car drawn by two trotting bullocks. 



Soon after sunrise we left the bungalow, and ere 

 long old Druid spoke to the drag. Tantara ! there 

 she goes right under Ringwood's nose, and the whole 

 pack score to cry. She circles the grassy plain, and 

 returning to the gardens there is a check. She has 

 squatted, and the little hounds extend like a fan, 

 seeking busily. A coolie has seen her stealing away 

 by the cart-shed. It may be a fresh one, but we 

 chance that. On the edge of the road they take 



