348 THE AVELE AND HOUND IN CEYLON. CHAP. xn. 



we came suddenly upon some fragments of chewed 

 leaves and branches, lying in the middle of the path. 

 The saliva was still warm upon them, and the dung of 

 an elephant lay in the road in a state which proved 

 his close vicinity. There were no tracks, of course, as 

 the path was nothing but a line of piled rocks, from 

 which the forest had been lately cleared, and the ele- 

 phants had just been disturbed by the clattering of the 

 horses' hoofs in ascending the rugged pass. 



Banda had run on in front about fifty yards before 

 us, but we had no sooner arrived on the summit of the 

 hill, than we saw him returning at a flying pace towards 

 us, with an elephant chasing him in full speed. 



It was an exciting scene while it lasted : with the 

 activity of a deer, he sprang from rock to rock, while 

 we of course ran to his assistance, and arrived close to 

 the elephant just as Banda had reached a high block 

 of stone, which furnished him an asylum. A shot 

 from Palliser brought the elephant upon his knees, 

 but, immediately recovering himself, he ran round a 

 large rock. I ran round the other side, and killed him 

 dead within four paces. 



Upon descending the opposite side of the pass, we 

 arrived in flat country, and on the left of the road we 

 saw another elephant, a ' rogue,' in high lemon grass. 

 We tried to get a shot at him, but it was of no use ; 

 the grass was so high, and thick, that after trying 

 several experiments, we declined following him in such 



