268 THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON. chap. XL 



as we intended to hunt at the Matturatta Plains, a 

 distance of six miles. The scent was bad, and the sun 

 was excessively hot ; the dogs were tired and languid. 

 It was two o'clock P.M., and we had not found, and we 

 were returning through the forest homewards, having 

 made up our minds for a blank day. 



Suddenly I thought I heard a deep voice at a great 

 distance ; it might have been fancy, but I listened again. 

 I counted the dogs, and old Smut was missing. There 

 was no mistaking his voice when at bay, and I now 

 heard him distinctly in the distance. Running towards 

 the sound through fine open forests, we soon arrived 

 on the Matturatta Plains. The whole pack now heard 

 the old dog distinctly, and they rushed to the sound 

 across the patinas. There was Smut, sure enough, with 

 a fine buck at bay in the river, which he had found 

 and brought to bay single-handed. 



The instant that the pack joined him, the buck broke 

 his bay, and, leaping up the bank, he gave a beautiful 

 run over the patinas, with the whole pack after him, 

 and Bran a hundred paces in advance of the other dogs, 

 pulling up to him with murderous intent. Just as I 

 thought that Bran would have him, a sudden kick 

 threw the dog over, but he quickly recovered himself, 

 and again came to the front, and this time he seized 

 the buck by the ear, but, this giving way, he lost his 

 hold and again was kicked over. This had checked the 

 elk's speed for some seconds, and the other dogs were 



