

HUNTING & SHOOTING IN CEYLON 



After some time we gave it up, and went on round 

 the parks, coming back to the place about an hour after- 

 wards, for I was determined not to give up as long as a 

 chance remained. We began tracking again, but very soon 

 down came a heavy plump of rain which did away with all 

 hope of finding the deer, so, as soon as it was over, we 

 began making our way through the forest to the next 

 park on our way to the distant camp. We had not gone 

 far when we heard a rush on our left, and stooping down 

 to see better, perceived some deer darting away through the 

 undergrowth. As I looked I saw that one remained 

 standing, and on the impulse of the moment, though I 

 could not see its head or determine the sex, fired at it 

 through the intervening twigs, leaves, and branches. 

 Somewhat to my surprise down it fell " baa-ing " like a 

 sheep, and we found it to be a young spike buck shot 

 through the pelvis. My cooly made stupid attempts to 

 knife it, so I called him to give me the knife to do it 

 myself; but at that moment I heard another rush in the 

 jungle, and stooping instantly saw two deer bolting past 

 not more than 20 yards away, one of which I saw by its 

 darker colour was a buck. I had no sights up, but, jerking 

 out my safety catch, took a lightning snap-shot at the buck, 

 which, to my delight, dropped in its tracks. I ran up and 

 saw, to my further delight, a fine head of horns which, 

 later, the steel tape gave as 29 inches, with a grand spread. 

 I turned the buck over to find the wound, and saw a 

 slit about 4 inches long at the back of the head, into which 

 I poked my finger right into a hole in the back of the 

 skull. Just then the animal began to kick convulsively, 

 and it struck me it might be only stunned, so I at once 

 knifed it to make sure. 



I then cast about to find an explanation for this strange 



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