326 THE RIFLE AND HGUND IN CEYLON, chap. x. 



watchers on the following day to track them into 

 better country. Having killed a deer, we started him 

 off with some coolies that we had taken with us on 

 this chance, and we continued our route till 3 P.M. We 

 had lost our way, and, not having any guide, we had 

 no notion of the position of the tents ; the heat of the 

 day had been intense, and, not having breakfasted, 

 we were rather anxious about the direction. Strolling 

 through this beautiful expanse of Park country, we 

 directed our course for a large rocky mountain, at a 

 few miles' distance, at the base of which I knew lay the 

 route from the tent to Nielgalla. To our great satis- 

 faction we found the path at about 4 P.M., and we 

 walked briskly along at the foot of the mountain in 

 the direction of our encampment, which was about 

 four miles distant. 



We had just arrived at an angle of the mountain, 

 which, in passing, we were now leaving to our left, 

 when we suddenly halted, our attention having been 

 arrested by the loud roaring of elephants in a jungle at 

 the foot of the hills, within a quarter of a mile of 

 us. The roaring continued at intervals, reverberating 

 among the rocks like distant thunder, till it at length 

 died away to stillness. 



We soon arrived in the vicinity of the sound, and 

 shortly discovered tracks upon a hard sandy soil, 

 covered with rocks and overgrown with a low, but 

 tolerably open jungle at the base of the mountain 



