h2 THE RJFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON, chap. v. 



four-ounce rifle, and, keeping in a direct line for his 

 hind-quarters, I walked towards him. The grass was 

 soft and short ; I could therefore approach without 

 the slightest noise : the only danger of being dis- 

 covered was in the chance that I might be seen as he 

 swung his head continually on either side. This I 

 avoided by altering my course as I saw his head in 

 the act of coming round, and I soon stood on the 

 edge of the lake exactly behind him, at about 120 

 yards. He was a noble-looking fellow, every inch 

 a rogue, his head almost white with numerous flesh- 

 coloured spots. These give a savage and disgusting 

 appearance to an elephant, and altogether he looked 

 a formidable opponent. I had intended to shout 

 on arriving at my present position, and then to 

 wait for the front shot as he charged ; but on 

 looking back to the tamarind-tree and my proposed 

 course for retreat, the distance appeared so great, 

 rendered still more difficult by a gradual ascent, that 

 I felt it would be impossible to escape if my chance 

 lay in running. I hardly knew what to do ; I had 

 evidently caught a ' Tartar.' 



His head was perpetually swinging to and fro, and 

 I was of course accordingly altering my position to 

 avoid his eye. At one of these half turns he flapped 

 his right ear just as his head came round, and I ob- 

 served a perfectly white mark, the size of a saucer, be- 

 hind the ear, in the exact spot for a fatal shot. I at 



