196 THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON, chap. viii. 



towards the Black Pool. Hiding behind the trees lest 

 we should head the buck, who we now heard crashing 

 towards us through the jungle, we suddenly caught a 

 glimpse of his dun hide as he bounded past us, and 

 splashed into the river. A few seconds after, and 

 Tiptoe, the leading hound, came rushing on his track, 

 but to our horror he was dragging his entrails after 

 him. The excitement of the chase recognised no 

 pain, and the plucky animal actually plunged into the 

 river, and in spite of his mangled state, he swam across, 

 and disappeared in the jungle on the opposite side, 

 upon the track which the elk had taken. The pack 

 now closed up ; swimming the river, they opened 

 upon a hot scent on the opposite bank, and running 

 parallel to the stream, they drove the buck out of the 

 jungle, and he came to bay on a rocky part of the 

 river, where the velocity of the torrent swept every dog 

 past him and rendered his position secure. The whole 

 pack was there with the exception of Tiptoe ; we 

 looked for him among the baying hounds in vain. 

 For about twenty minutes the buck kept his impreg- 

 nable position, when in a foolish moment he forsook 

 it, and dashing along the torrent, he took to deep 

 water. The whole pack was after him ; once Merri- 

 man got a hold, but was immediately beaten off. 

 Valiant, who was behaving nobly, and made repeated 

 attempts to seize, was struck beneath the water as 

 often as he advanced. The old veteran Smut was 



