HUNTING & SHOOTING IN CEYLON 



On our way back to camp we lost our way, being ahead 

 of our guides, and found soon after that we had described 

 a circle, coming back to our morning tracks ! The next 

 attempt we hit it off all right and got to camp. 



About four days after this we came upon a small herd 

 of buffalo in a park, in which also we saw a herd of twenty- 

 three spotted deer, which we at once went for, being in want 

 of meat. We bagged one, and found to our satisfaction 

 that the buffalo, being a long way off, had not taken alarm 

 at the crack of the .303, so we then turned our attention 

 to them. 



The stalk was not easy as the park was very large, and 

 it took us quite half-an-hour to get within 140 yards, by 

 which time they had become suspicious and restless, so we 

 opened fire on a big bull with .303*5, as the range seemed 

 a bit far for good shooting with heavier rifles. We 

 actually put in quite a dozen shots, as the herd careered 

 about, at this bull, which he did not seem to notice in the 

 least, including three solids, which I also fired into him. 

 He then went off to the jungle, and we followed after a 

 little time had elapsed. On the way we met with a crippled 

 calf, said to have been mauled by a leopard, which began to 

 bellow lustily at the sight of us, with some effect, for 

 hearing a noise on our right, we looked round and saw 

 " mama " tearing along in our direction in a way that very 

 evidently meant " business." Cover there was none, and 

 the jungle was too far away, so hastily snatching the 10- 

 bore I let fly when she was about 100 yards off, the bullet 

 telling with a loud smack. 



Round she spun and departed as quickly as she had 

 come, and, I hope, not much the worse for her attempt to 

 protect her calf, as there was no blood-spoor, and my im- 

 pression was that the bullet hit one of the horns. 



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