270 THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON chap. xi. 



that day, and. being short-handed, I determined to 

 hunt in the more green country at the foot of 

 Hackgalla mountain. 



My brother and I entered the jungle with the dogs, 

 and before we had proceeded a hundred yards we 

 heard a fierce bay, every dog having joined. The bay 

 was not a quarter of a mile distant, and we were puz- 

 zled as to the character of the game : whatever it was, 

 it had stood to bay without a run. Returning to the 

 patina, in which position we could distinctly assure 

 ourselves of the direction, we heard the bay broken, 

 and a slow run commenced. The next instant Bran 

 came hobbling out of the jungle covered with blood, 

 which streamed from a frightful gash in his hind-quar- 

 ters. There was no more doubt remaining as to the 

 game at bay ; it was an enormous boar. 



Bran was completely hors de combat ; and Smut, 

 having lost nearly all his teeth, was of no use single- 

 handed with such an enemy. We had no seizers to 

 depend upon, and the boar again stood to bay in a 

 thick jungle. 



I happened to have a rifle with me that morning, as 

 I had noticed fresh elephant-tracks in the neighbour- 

 hood a few days previous, and hoping to be able to 

 shoot the boar, we entered the jungle and approached 

 the scene of the bay. 



When within twenty paces of the spot I heard his 

 fierce grunting as he charged right and left into the 



