I Go THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON. CHAP. VII 



blanket to keep them from the dew, so telling W. to 

 uncover them and to distribute them to the respective 

 gun-bearers without noise, I crept out and stole unper- 

 ceived along the margin of the tank to discover the 

 number and position of the elephants. So deceitful 

 was the moonlight, being interrupted by the dark 

 shadows of the jungle, that I was within ten paces of 

 the nearest elephant before I distinguished her. I 

 counted three — one large and two others about six 

 feet high. Being satisfied with my information, 

 and having ascertained that no others were in the 

 jungle, I returned to my companions ; they were 

 all ready, and we crept forward. We were within ten 

 paces of the large elephant, when a branch of hooked 

 thorn caught W. by the clothes ; the noise that he 

 made in extricating himself immediately attracted the 

 attention of the elephant, and she turned quickly 

 round, receiving at the same moment an ineffectual 

 shot from W. ; B. at the same time fired without effect 

 at one of the small elephants. The mother, hearing 

 a roar from the small elephant that B. had wounded, 

 immediately rushed up to it, and they stood side by 

 side in the water about fifteen -yards from the bank. 

 The large elephant now cocked her ears and turned 

 her head from side to side with great quickness to dis- 

 cover an enemy. I ran close to the water's edge, and 

 the mother perceiving me immediately came forward. 

 1 could hardly distinguish the sights of my rifle, and I 



