HUNTING Gf SHOOTING IN CEYLON 



but I heard, some time after I got back to the estate, that 

 the dead elephant had been found, and no doubt my men 

 did not want the trouble of bringing in the feet, &c. 

 Small satisfaction to me, however. I then inquired if this 

 was the " rogue," and was calmly informed that it was 

 not ; that the " rogue " dwelt at the other side of the tank 

 nearer the ruins of the ancient city. I was rather sick 

 over this, as I had no right to shoot at an ordinary animal, 

 but determined to go for the "rogue" all the same, so 

 two days after I started again, this time with only two 

 men, the only spare gun being an ordinary 1 2 -bore fowling- 

 piece of my own loaded with 13 gauge ball and 3 drachms 

 powder. 



We soon picked up a track near the road and followed 

 it, my men this time acting with considerable caution, partly 

 through the ancient ruins to some rather scrubby jungle 

 with no big trees in it at all. Tracking very cautiously in 

 this we soon came in sight of the elephant, which was stand- 

 ing perfectly still broadside to me about 15 yards away. 

 I got on to a low ant-hill from which I got an excellent 

 view of his head through a clear space in the bush, and 

 sitting down with my elbows on my knees, fired right into 

 the dark centre of his left ear. To my great delight down 

 he went stone dead, though I made certain by running in 

 and putting another shot into the brain. I got a small 

 broken tusk out of him, took off his feet, of which the 

 fore-feet measured 54^ in. (vide Rowland Ward's " Records 

 of Big Game"), ears, and tail, and returned to camp rejoicing, 

 sending men to carry in the trophies. I had the skull of 

 this elephant brought to my bungalow later, and it is now 

 in my verandah. 



It was on this first trip of mine that I met and made the 

 acquaintance of my very good friend the Mudaliyar, G. 



96 



