CHAPTER VIII. 



Beat-hounds for Elk-hunting — Smut — Killbuck — The Hor- 

 ton Plains — A Second Soyer — The Find — The Buck at 

 Bay — The Bay — The Death — Return of Lost Dogs — 

 Comparative Speed of Deer — Veddah Ripped by a Boar 

 — A Melee — Buck at Black Pool — Old Smut's Ruse— 

 Margosse Oil. 



THE foregoing description of sporting incidents 

 closed my first visit to Ceylon. I had arrived 

 in the island to make a tour of the country and to enjoy 

 its sports ; this I had accomplished by a residence of 

 twelve months, the whole of which had been occupied 

 in wandering from place to place. I now returned to 

 England, but the Fates had traced another road for me, 

 and after a short stay in the old country, I again started 

 for Ceylon, and became a resident at Newera Elba. 



Making use of the experience that I had gained in 

 wild sports, I came out well armed, according to my 

 own ideas of weapons for the chase. I had ordered 

 four double-barreled rifles of No. 10 bore, to be made 

 to my own pattern ; my hunting knives and boar-spear 

 heads I had made to my own design by Paget of Picca- 

 dilly, who turned out the perfection of steel ; and I ar- 

 rived in Ceylon with a pack of fine foxhounds and a 

 favorite grayhound of wonderful speed and strength, 

 "Bran," who, though full of years, is still alive. 

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