252 THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON, chap. XI. 



CHAPTER XL 



Excitement of Elephant-shooting — An Unexpected Visitor — A Long 

 Run with a Buck — Hard Work Rewarded — A Glorious Bay — End 

 of a Hard Day's Work — Bee-hunters — Disasters of Elk-hunting — 

 Bran Wounded—' Old Smut's ' Buck — Boar at Hackgalla — Death of 

 'Old Smut' — Scenery from the Perewelle Mountains — Diabolical 

 Death of ' Merriman ' — Scene of the Murder. 



In describing so many incidents in elephant-shooting 

 it is difficult to convey a just idea of the true grandeur 

 of the sport : it reads too easy. A certain number are 

 killed out of a herd after an animated chase, and the 

 description of the hunt details the amount of slaughter, 

 but cannot possibly explain the peculiar excitement 

 which attends elephant-shooting beyond all other 

 sports. The size of the animal is so disproportionate 

 to that of the hunter that the effect of a large herd of 

 these monsters flying before a single man would be 

 almost ridiculous could the chase be witnessed by 

 some casual observer who was proof against the ex- 

 citement of the sport. The effect of a really good 

 elephant shot in the pursuit of a herd over open coun- 

 try is very fine. With such weapons as the double-bar- 

 relled No. 10 rifles a shot is seldom wasted ; and 

 during the chase, an elephant drops from the herd at 



