ON THE KAMBUKENAAR RIVER. 171 



had the courage of a hero, and would stand perfectly 

 unmoved with a second rifle though a charging 

 elephant was within a few yards. 



I know no native hunters who in any respect 

 approach the Ceylon trackers in their power of 

 following up an animal. They will take up the track 

 of an elephant, and follow it for hours over every 

 description of ground, even slab rock where to an 

 European eye no trace of any kind could be seen, 

 through a maze of other tracks, till at last they can 

 point to the track into which the water is still oozing, 

 and you know it is time to get ready your weapons. 



The trackers reported that there were plenty of 

 elephants between us and the Kambukenaar River, 

 which here forms the boundary between the Southern 

 and Eastern Provinces of Ceylon, and after some 

 consultation we decided to pitch our standing camp 

 there. This was important, as sending back a note 

 by Will's groom to that effect placed us within the 

 possibility of communication with the outer world 

 if it became necessary. 



The dog-cart left next morning to travel 150 

 miles back to Colombo. As there were no roads 

 at all before us, it was useless to try and take it 

 further. That day we travelled en as there was no 

 chance of game, and the next morning we again 

 started at dawn. The noise of striking camp awoke 

 us, and Will took a rifle and strolled on before the 

 long train. He had been gone nearly an hour when 

 a shot roused me from a doze. It was quickly 

 followed by another, and the whiz of a bullet not very 



