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



Merriman and Ploughboy, the two leading hounds, 

 dashed off upon it, followed by the whole pack. In a 

 few minutes we heard them in full cry about a quarter 

 of a mile from us, going straight down the hill. Giving 

 them a good holloa, we started off down the path at a 

 round pace, and in less than a quarter of an hour we 

 were at the foot of the mountain on the plain. Here 

 we found a number of people who had headed the elk 

 (a fine buck) just as he was breaking cover, and he had 

 turned back, taking off to some other line of country 

 at a great pace, as we could not hear even a whimper. 

 This was enough to make a saint swear, and, blessing 

 heartily the fellows who had headed him, we turned 

 back and retraced our steps up the mountain to listen 

 for the cry of the pack among the numerous ravines 

 which furrow the sides. 



It was of no use ; we could hear nothing but the 

 mocking chirp of birds and the roaring of the mountain 

 torrents. Not a sign of elk or dogs. The greyhounds 

 were away with the pack, and knowing that the dogs 

 would never leave him till dark, we determined not to 

 give them up. No less than three times in the course 

 of the day did we reascend the mountain to listen for 

 them in vain. We went up to the top of the Newera 

 Ellia Pass, in the hope of hearing them in that direc- 

 tion, but with the same want of success. Miles of 

 ground were gone over to no purpose. Scaling the 

 steep sides of the mountains at the back of the barracks, 



