338 THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON chap. XU. 



standing on some rising ground, and were making 

 a great roaring. 



On arriving within a hundred yards of them, I 

 found I had caught a ' Tartar.' It is a very different 

 thing creeping up to an unsuspecting herd and at 

 tacking them by surprise, to marching up upon sheer 

 open ground to a hunted one with wounded elephants 

 among them, who have regularly stood at bay. This 

 was now the case. The ground was perfectly open, and 

 the lemon grass was above my head : thus I could 

 only see the exact position of the elephants every now 

 and then, by standing upon the numerous little rocks 

 that were scattered here and there. The elephants 

 were standing upon some rising ground, from which 

 they watched every movement as I approached. They 

 continued to growl without a moment's intermission, 

 being enraged not only from the noise of the firing, 

 but on account of two calves which they had with them, 

 and which I could not see in the high grass. There 

 was a gentle rise in the ground within thirty paces of 

 the spot upon which they stood ; and to this place I 

 directed my steps with great care, hiding in the high 

 grass as I crept towards them. 



During the whole of this time, guns were firing with- 

 out intermission in the direction taken by Palliserand 

 Wortley, thus keeping my game terribly on the qui 

 vive. What they were firing so many shots at, T could 

 not conceive. 



