344 THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON. CHAP, xn 



through the jungle, which was evidently coming straight 

 upon us. 



We were in a most unfavourable position, but there 

 was no time for any farther arrangement than bringing 

 the rifle on full cock, before six elephants, including the 

 ' rogue ' whose tracks we were following, burst through 

 the jungle straight at us. 



Banda was nearly run over, but with wonderful 

 agility he ran up some tangled creepers hanging from 

 the trees, just as a spider would climb his web. He 

 was just in time, as the back of one of the elephants 

 grazed his feet as it passed below him. 



In the meantime the guns were not idle. Wortley 

 fired at the leading elephant, which had passed under 

 Banda's feet, just as he was crossing the brook on our 

 left. His shot did not produce any effect, but I killed 

 him by a temple-shot as he was passing on. Palliser, 

 who was on our right, killed two, and knocked 

 down a third, who was about half-grown. This fellow 

 got up again, and Wortley and Palliser, both firing at 

 the same moment, extinguished him. 



The herd had got themselves into a mess by rush- 

 ing down upon our scent in this heedless manner, 

 as four of them lay dead within a few paces of 

 each other. The ' rogue,' who knew how to take 

 care of himself, escaped with only one companion. 

 Upon these tracks we now followed, without Ices of 

 time. 



