chap. vii. A GOOD DA VS SPORT. 169 



track. I was at length in despair of finding him, and 

 I was attentively scrutinising the ground for a trace 

 of blood, which would distinguish his track from those 

 of other deer with which the ground was covered, 

 when I suddenly heard a rush in the underwood, and 

 away bounded the buck at about fifty yards' distance, 

 apparently as fresh as ever. The next instant he was 

 gasping on the ground, the rifle-ball having passed ex- 

 actly through his heart. I never could have believed 

 that a spotted buck would have attained so large a 

 size ; he was as large as a doe elk, and his antlers were 

 the finest I have ever seen of that species. It required 

 eight men with two cross poles to bring him home. 



I reached the tent to breakfast at eight o'clock, 

 having bagged three fine bucks and two buffaloes that 

 morning ; and being, for the time, satiated with sport, 

 I quitted Ceylon. 



