132 THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON, chap, vi 



neck. This was too much for the remaining buffalo ; 

 she turned to plunge into the lake, but the four-ounce 

 through her shoulder brought her down before she 

 could reach the water, into which the three calves had 

 sprung, and were swimming for the main shore. I hit 

 the last calf in the head with a double-barrelled gun, 

 and he immediately sank ; and I missed another calf 

 with the left-hand barrel ; therefore two escaped. I 

 sent a man into the water to find the dead calf, which 

 he soon did, and hauled it to the shore ; and having re- 

 loaded, I proceeded to examine the hits on the dead 

 buffaloes. It was fortunate that I had reloaded ; for 

 I had no sooner approached to within three or four 

 yards of the cow that I had left dying, when she sud- 

 denly sprang to her feet, and would have charged, had 

 I not killed her by a ball in the head from a light 

 double-barrel that I was then carrying. These ani- 

 mals had shown as good sport as I had ever witnessed 

 in buffalo-shooting, but the two heavy rifles were fear- 

 ful odds against them, and they were added to the 

 list of the slain. It was now late in the evening, and I 

 had had a long day's work in the broiling sun. I had 

 bagged ten buffaloes, including the calf, and having 

 cut a fillet from the latter, I took a gun, loaded with 

 shot, from my horse-keeper, and gave up ball-shooting, 

 having turned my attention to a large flock of teal, 

 which I had disturbed in attacking the buffaloes. 

 This flock I had marked down in a small stream which 



