THE CEYLON ELK 



mind to bag him. I only had my " Paradox," and this 

 necessitated my getting to within 100 yards if possible, 

 so, there being no available cover for the approach, down 

 I went flat in the grass and wriggled along for about 

 100 yards without disturbing my quarry, which was busy 

 feeding on the leaves of a shrub. Being now within about 

 80 yards and in a nice position, I took careful aim for 

 the point where neck and shoulders join, and at the shot 

 the buck dropped in his tracks, but, to my chagrin, a 

 magnificent full-antlered buck darted out of the bushes 

 just beyond the fallen animal and was gone before I 

 could move. 



However, I had bagged my game and was fairly satis- 

 fied the unusual part of the incident being that it was 

 about I P.M. and a blazing hot day in February, a time 

 at which nobody with any knowledge of the subject could 

 possibly expect to meet with elk on the feed out in the 

 open, in Ceylon low country at any rate. 



In the early days of my sporting experiences I more 

 than once slaughtered an odd elk at a water-hole better 

 men than I have done the same, so I do not see any reason 

 to be ashamed of having done so once in a way, in my 

 " griffin-hood," instead of leaving all that game to the 

 natives. On one particular occasion I was watching, on 

 the ground, by the side of a long, narrow, canal-like pool 

 of water in the forest, waiting for bear or leopard ; but 

 nothing came until very late, perhaps i A.M., when a 

 huge shadowy form silently appeared approaching the 

 water opposite my " hide." 



The moonlight was very dim, but I fired and down 

 it fell, almost immediately getting up again, rushing 

 through the water and scrambling up a steep bank on 

 my side of the pool. Near the top, however, it fell, 



163 



