230 THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON, chap. X. 



empty-handed, in the hope that some gun-bearer 

 might put one of V.'s spare guns in my hand. A large 

 elephant and her young one, who was about three feet 

 and a half high, were retreating up the rugged side of 

 the mountain, and the mother, instead of protecting 

 the little one, was soon a hundred paces ahead of him, 

 and safely located in a thick jungle which covered that 

 portion of the mountain. Being empty-handed, I soon 

 scrambled up and caught the little fellow by the tail ; 

 but he was so strong that I could not hold him, 

 although I exerted all my strength, and he dragged 

 me slowly towards the jungle to which his mother had 

 retreated. V. now came up, and he being loaded, I 

 told him to keep a look-out for the mother's return, 

 while I secured my captive, by seizing him by the 

 trunk with one hand and by the tail with the other ; 

 in this manner I could just master him by throwing 

 my whole weight down the hill, and he began to roaf 

 like a full-grown elephant. The mother was for a 

 wonder faithless to her charge, and did not return to 

 the little one's assistance. While I was engaged in 

 securing him, the gun-bearers came up, and at this 

 moment I observed, at the foot of the hill, another 

 elephant, not quite full grown, who was retreating 

 through the high grass towards the jungle. There were 

 no guns charged except one of my No. 10 rifles, which 

 some one had reloaded ; taking this, I left the little 

 ' Ponchy ' with V. and the gun-bearers, and running 



