xxv THE SAMBUE 423 



at the back of the old Rest House, he immediately turned and 

 made straight up the mountain. From that moment all was 

 mute. Three times did I ascend Pedro in the hope of hearing 

 the pack at bay in some of the numerous ravines upon the moun- 

 tain side, but it was of no avail; not a sound could be heard. 

 We then went up the Newera Ellia pass ; nothing could be heard 

 in that direction. The whole morning passed away in fruitless 

 search. It was 2 P.M., and the wearied visitors to the hunt had 

 long since returned to their respective homes in despair. The day 

 was hot, and we dropped into Machel's house and had a draught 

 of beer previous to climbing the steep mountain at the back of 

 the barracks, in the hope of hearing something of the lost pack 

 upon the hill-top. Making a circuit on reaching the summit, we 

 descended by the Cutcherry, and not having heard even a chirp, 

 we determined to go towards ' Rest and be thankful,' where I had 

 sent Machel to look out. Upon our arrival on the top of the hill 

 on the Wallapane road, where the path branches off to 'Rest 

 and be thankful,' we saw Machel, who was sitting on the patina, 

 having returned from his post without success ; but a proof of the 

 direction which the pack had taken, now appeared in Lizzie (a 

 foxhound bitch), who had just joined him from the Wallapane 

 road. 



" There was no longer a doubt ; the elk had gone towards the 

 Matturatta Plains, and without a moment's delay we galloped 

 thither (having now obtained our horses). After a sharp ride of 

 a mile, we met some village people, who reported that two dogs 

 had passed them at full speed along the path in the direction of 

 the Matturatta Plain. Hurrah for him at last ! and away we 

 went full tilt. When within a mile of the plain, sure enough 

 there was a stag's track in the muddy path as fresh as a daisy ; 

 the toes widely spread, proving the speed, together with innumer- 

 able tracks of dogs all taking the same direction. 



" Yelling continuous shouts of encouragement in the hopes of 

 cheering the hounds as we galloped on, we at length reached the 

 plains. There to our joy we saw Bran and Lucifer (two grey- 

 hounds), who, having heard our shouts, were coming to meet us. 

 These dogs had actually been hunting with the pack throughout 

 the day, and there was now no doubt that the stag was not far 

 distant. Lena had kept with us, therefore we had a fresh seizer. 

 Leaving the road, and riding into the plain, we stopped and 

 listened. The panting and snorting of the horses, which had 

 come 3 miles at full speed, at first hushed all other sounds, but 

 presently we could distinguish the distant and faint voices of 



