54 THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON, chap. m. 



turning to bay and showing good sport when at- 

 tacked. 



Having cut out the tongues from the two bulls, we 

 turned homeward to breakfast. Skirting along the 

 edge of the lake, which abounded with small creeks, 

 occasioning us many circuits, we came suddenly upon 

 a single bull, who, springing from his lair of mud and 

 high grass, plunged into a creek, and, swimming 

 across, exposed himself to a dead shot as he landed 

 on the opposite bank about a hundred paces from us. 

 The four-ounce struck him in the hind-quarters and 

 broke the hip joint, and, continuing its course along 

 his body, it pierced his lungs and lodged in the skin of 

 the throat. The bull immediately fell, but regaining 

 his feet he took to the water, and swam to a small 

 island of high grass about thirty yards from the shore. 

 Upon gaining this he turned and faced us, but in a few 

 seconds he fell unable to rise, and received a merciful 

 shot in the head, which despatched him. 



We were just leaving the border of the lake on our 

 way to the village, when two cow buffaloes sprang 

 up from one of the numerous inlets and retreated at 

 full gallop towards the jungle, offering a splendid side 

 shot at about a hundred paces. The leading cow 

 plunged head-foremost into the grass as the four-ounce 

 struck her through both shoulders. She was a fine 

 young cow, and we cut some steaks from her in case 

 we should find a scarcity of provisions at Minneria 



