CHAPTER V. 



The Four-ounce again — Tidings of a Rogue — Approaching 

 a Tank Rogue— An Exciting Moment — Ruins of Pollan- 

 arua — Ancient Ruins — Rogues at Doolana — B. Charged 

 bv a Rogue — Planning an Attack — A Check — Nar- 

 row Escape — Rogue-stalking — A Bad Rogue — Dangers 

 of Elephant-shooting — The Rhatamahatmeya's Tale. 



A BROKEN nipple in my long two-ounce rifle 

 took me to Trincomalee, about seventy miles out 

 of my proposed route. Here I had it punched out 

 and replaced with a new one, which I fortunately had 

 with me. No one who has not experienced the loss 

 can imagine the disgust occasioned by an accident to a 

 favorite rifle in a wild country. A spare nipple and 

 mainspring for each barrel and lock should always be 

 taken on a shooting trip. 



In passing byKandelly on my return from Trincoma- 

 lee, I paid a second visit to the lake. This is very simi- 

 lar to that of Minneria ; but the shooting at that time 

 was destroyed from the same cause which has since 

 ruined Minneria — " too many guns." The buffaloes 

 were not worthy of the name ; I could not make one 

 show fight, nor could I even get within three hundred 

 yards of them. I returned from the plain with disgust; 

 but just as I was quitting the shores of the lake I no- 

 ticed three buffaloes in the shallows about knee-deep in 



75 



