92 The Rijle and Hound in Ceylon. 



Since that period I have somewhat thinned the 

 number of rogues in this neighborhood. I had a careful 

 and almost certain plan of shooting them. Quite alone, 

 with the exception of two faithful gun-bearers, I used 

 to wait at the edge of the jungle at their feeding time, 

 and watch their exit from the forest. The most cautious 

 stalking then generally enabled me to get a fatal shot 

 before my presence was discovered. This is the proper 

 way to succeed with rogue elephants, although of 

 course it is attended with considerable danger. I was 

 once very nearly caught near this spot, where the 

 elephants are always particularly savage. The lake 

 was then much diminished in size by dry weather, and 

 the water had retired for about a hundred yards from 

 the edge of the forest, leaving a deep bed of mud 

 covered with slime and decayed vegetable matter. This 

 slime had hardened in the sun and formed a cake over 

 the soft mud beneath. Upon this treacherous surface a 

 man could walk with great care. Should the thin 

 covering break through he would be immediately waist- 

 deep in the soft mud. To plod through this was the 

 elephant's delight. Smearing a thick coat of the black 

 mud over their whole bodies, they formed a defensive 

 armor against the attacks of musquitoes, which are the 

 greatest tormenters that an elephant has to contend 

 with. 



I was watching the edge of the forest one afternoon 

 at about four o'clock, when I noticed the massive form 

 of one of these tank rogues stalk majestically from the 

 jungle and proceed through the deep mud toward 

 the lake. I had the wind, and I commenced stalking 

 him. 



Advancing with my two gun-bearers in single file, I 



