202 THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON, chap. tx. 



Here was a fair trial of speed over a perfect bowling- 

 green, and away they flew, the buck exerting his 

 utmost stride, and the greyhounds stretching out till 

 their briskets nearly touched the ground ; Killbuck 

 leading with tremendous bounds, and Lena about a 

 length behind him. 



By degrees the beautiful spring of the greyhounds 

 appeared to tell, and the distance between them and 

 the buck gradually decreased, although both deer and 

 dogs flew along with undiminished speed. The plain 

 was nearly crossed, and the opposite jungle lay within 

 200 yards of them. To gain this, the buck re- 

 doubled his exertions ; the greyhounds knew as well 

 as he did, that it was his chance of escape, and with 

 equal efforts they pressed upon him. Not fifty paces 

 now separated the buck from the jungle, and with 

 prodigious bounds he sped along ; he neared it ; he 

 won it ! the yielding branches crashed before him, but 

 the dogs were at his haunches as the jungle closed 

 over them and concealed the chase. 



I was soon up ; and upon entering the jungle, I 

 could neither hear nor see anything of them, but, by 

 following up the track, I found them about fifty yards 

 from the entrance of the bush. The buck was stand- 

 ing on the sandy bed of a dry stream, endeavouring in 

 vain to free himself, while the greyhounds pinned his 

 nose to the ground, each hanging upon his ears. The 

 knife finished him immediately. There never was a 



