248 THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON. chap. x. 



I was obliged to open him to discover the real 

 injury. I had little thought that the knife which 

 had so often come to his assistance was destined 

 to so sad a task. His lungs were pierced through 

 by the deer's horns in two places, and he had died 

 of sudden suffocation by internal haemorrhage. A 

 large hollow tree grew close to the spot ; in this 

 I buried him. The stag's antlers now hang in the 

 hall, a melancholy but glorious memento of poor 

 Killbuck. 



In a few days my leg had so much improved that 

 I could again use it without much inconvenience ; I 

 therefore determined to pay the cave a visit, as I felt 

 convinced that elephants would be more numerous in 

 that neighbourhood. We started in the cool of the 

 afternoon, as the distance was not more than eight 

 miles from our encampment. We had proceeded 

 about half-way, and our horses were picking their 

 way with difficulty over some rocky hills, when we 

 came upon fresh tracks of a herd of elephants. It 

 was too late to go after them that evening ; we 

 therefore pitched the tent upon the spot, resolv- 

 ing to track them up at daybreak on the following 

 morning. 



We were accordingly out before sunrise, and came 

 upon the tracks within a mile of the tent. We at 

 length discovered the herd upon the summit of a steep 

 rocky hill. There were no trees in this part, and we 



