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



got his quietus, we pushed on as fast as we could upon 

 the tracks through fine open forest. 



For about an hour we pressed on through forests, 

 plains, rivers, and thick jungles alternately, till at 

 length upon arriving on some rising ground, we heard 

 the trumpet of an elephant. 



It was fine country, but overgrown with lemon 

 grass ten feet high. Clumps of trees were scattered 

 here and there among numerous small dells. Exactly 

 opposite lay several large masses of rock, shaded by a 

 few trees, and on our left lay a small hollow of high 

 lemon grass, bordered by jungle. 



In this hollow we counted seven elephants : their 

 heads and backs were just discernible above the grass, 

 as we looked over them from some rising ground at 

 about seventy yards distance. Three more elephants 

 were among the rocks, browsing upon the long grass. 



We now heard unmistakable sounds of a large 

 number of elephants in the jungle below us, from which 

 the seven elephants in the hollow had only just 

 emerged, and we quietly waited for the appearance of 

 the whole herd, this being their usual feeding-time. 



One by one they majestically stalked from the 

 jungle. We were speculating on the probable number 

 of this large herd, when one of them suddenly winded 

 us, and, with magical quickness, they all wheeled 

 round and rushed back into the jungle. 



Calling upon my little troop of gun-bearers to keep 



