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



little guide as one of the best hunters among the 

 Northern Veddahs. He soon understood our object ; 

 and, putting down his bow and arrows and a little 

 pipkin of sour curd (his sole provision on his hunting 

 trip), he started at once upon the track. 



Without any exception he was the best tracker I 

 have ever seen : although the ground was as hard as 

 a stone, and the footprints constantly invisible, he 

 went like a hound upon a scent, at a pace that kept us 

 in an occasional jog-trot. After half an hour's track- 

 ing, and doubling backward and forward in thick 

 jungle, we came up with three elephants. V. B. killed 

 one, and I killed another at the same moment. V. B. 

 also fired at the third ; but, instead of falling, he 

 rushed towards us, and I killed him with my remain- 

 ing barrel, Palliser joining in the shot. They were 

 all killed in about three seconds. The remaining 

 portion of the herd were at a distance, and we heard 

 them crashing through the thick jungle. We followed 

 them for about a mile, but they had evidently gone off 

 to some other country. The jungle was very thick, 

 and we had a long journey to accomplish ; we 

 therefore returned to the horses and rode on, our 

 party being now increased by the Veddah tracker. 



After having ridden about twenty miles, the last 

 eight of which had been through alternate forest and 

 jungle, we arrived at a small plain of rich grass of 

 about a hundred acres : this was surrounded by 



