302 THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON, chap. xii. 



could not reach the brain, and he immediately re« 

 covered himself, and, wheeling suddenly round, he 

 retreated into the jungle, through which we could not 

 follow. 



We continued to stroll on from glade to glade, 

 expecting to find him ; and, in about a quarter of an 

 hour, we heard the trumpet of an elephant Fully 

 convinced that this was the wounded animal, we 

 pushed on towards the spot ; but, on turning a corner 

 of the jungle, we came suddenly upon a herd of seven 

 of the largest elephants that I ever saw together ; they 

 must have been all bulls. Unfortunately, they had 

 our wind, and, being close to the edge of a thick 

 thorny jungle/ they disappeared like magic. We 

 gave chase for a short distance, but were soon stopped 

 by the thorns. We had no chance with them. 



It was now dusk, and we therefore hastened 

 towards the tent, seeing three herds of deer and one 

 of hogs on our way ; but it was too dark to get a shot. 

 The deer were barking in every direction, and the 

 country was evidently alive with game. 



On arrival at the tent, we found that W. and P. 

 had met with no better luck than ourselves. Two of. 

 our tins of provisions were consumed at dinner, leaving 

 us only two remaining. Not a moment was to be 

 lost in pushing forward ; and we detei mined upon a 

 long march on the following day. 



Nov. 25. — Sunrise saw us in the saddles. The 



