Dec.  2,  1895.]  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
431 
ELK  HUNTlNCi  LS^  CEY’LON. 
It  was  a perfect  scenting  morning,  the  hoar  frost 
hung  thick  on  the  long  gi'ass  in  the  deep  hollows, 
and  the  rhododendron!  leaves  were  silvery  with  rime. 
Tiiere  was  hardly  light  enough  to  pick  our  way  across 
a swamp  or  two  we  had  to  cross,  and  it  was  iiot 
until  we  reached  the  jungle  edge  that  the  pink  tints 
in  the  eastern  sky  gave  way  to  the  dull  grey  of 
actual  day.  I had  selected  an  isolated  piece  of  forest 
for  the  morning's  “ draw,”  and  ex'iiected  to  find  an 
old  and  very^  large  stag  which  had  beaten  me  more 
than  once.  I had  a strong  pack  out,  about  seven 
couples  of  foxhounds  and  four  and  a half  couples 
of  long-dogs  and  half-breds,  including  my  grand  old 
seizer,  Zulu. 
Posting  three  of  my  kangaroo  hounds  at  the 
back  of  the  jungle,  so  as  to  cover  all  the  open  patana 
lying  between  it  and  the  main  forest,  1 took  the 
pack  up  the  hill  to  the  jungle  side.  I had  ) o ited 
Zulu  near  the  river  below  me,  with  orders  to  the 
dog-boy  to  bring  him  to  me  on  hearing  a single  note 
on  the  horn.  June,  who  had  been  feathering  on  what 
seemed  a very  good  line  on  the  grass,  opened  at 
one  just  inside  the  jungle.  Her  first  note  was  fol- 
lowed inimediatcdy  by  a savage  “ bay,"  Standing 
close  by  the  jungle  edge,  I heard  the  growling  of  what 
I thought  was  an  old  stag — a sound  1 have  heard 
man>  a time  when  I have  run  up  against  a stag  in 
his  lair  in  thick  forest.  Then  suddenly  1 heard  the 
unmistak-able  grunts  of  a boar.  The  bay  lasted  but 
a few  seconds,  and  as  one  of  the  hounds  howded  in 
ain  the  boar  rushed  past  within  l()ft.  of  me,  but 
idden  by  the  bramble  thicket  he  had  *■  stood’' 
in.  He  then  made  a wide  circle  deep  into  the 
jungle.  I called  tor  Zulu,  and  with  three  coolies 
tollowed  the  pack;  my  other  seizers  were  quite  out 
of  hearing  I knew,  so  I had  to  do  ihe  best  I could 
with  what  I had  got. 
After  going  about  200  yards  through  very  thick 
“ nillu  " jungle  I reached  a clear  spot  about  20  ft.  in 
diameter,  where  the  undergrowth  had  been  trodden 
down  by  deer  and  pigs.  In  the  middle  of  this  stood 
two  small  trees  growing  close  together,  and  whilst 
waiting  near  these,  listening  to  the  “ tongue ’’  of  the 
hounds  as  they'  appioached  me,  I heard  the  thud 
of  hoofs  on  my  right.  Glancing  in  that  direction 
without  moving  I saw  the  boar  trotting  down 
a gentle  incline  in  a direction  that  would  take  him 
past  me  about  four  yards  distant,  and  the  other  side 
of  the  two  trees.  Having  no  weapon  with  me  but  my 
hunting  knife,  I took,  for  further  security,  one 
cantious.step  forward  and  sidewards  so  as  to  place  the 
two  saplings  between  the  boar  and  myself.  I 
could  see  his  wicked  little  eyes  glistening  as  he 
stood  and  listened  for  the  approaching  pack,  now, 
some  500  to  000  yards  behinU  him  The  movement 
I made,  though  very  slight,  did  not  escape  his  notice. 
He  turned  and  raised  his  head,  looking  straight  at 
me.  and,  quicker  than  thought,  he  was  past  the  trees 
and  upon  me.  My  knife  was  in  my  belt,  and  1 was 
absolutely  powerless.  Indeed,  it  was  the  feeling  of 
my  own  impotence  to  deal  w'ith  such  a massive  brute 
that  struck  me  more  than  anything  else. 
Past  I he  trees  he  reared  himself  upon  his  hind 
legs,  and  to  the  best  of  my  belief,  he  had  all  four 
feet  off  the  ground  as  he  sprang  upon  me.  I felt 
the  rough  bristles  of  his  chest  on  my  face  as  1 fell 
to  his  charge.  By  the  most  excraoidinary  good  for- 
tune ho  passed  on  over  me  as  I lay  and  rushed 
straight  at  two  of  my  coo  ies.  who  w-ere  standing  some 
10ft.  behind  me,  one  of  them  holding  Zulu  in  slips. 
I picked  myself  up  as  quickly'  as  I could,  in  time 
to  see  both  the  coolies  on  their  backs  and  old  Zulu  s 
four  feet  in  the  air.  About  10ft.  beyond  stood  the 
boar,  in  thick  “nillu,’’  contemplatjug,  as  I believe,  a 
fresh  attack.  But  Zulu,  having  escapeu  f 1 oin  the  hold  of 
the  dazed  dog-bo.v,  witli  slips  and  all,  rushed  furiously' 
at  the  boar.  In'a  rccond  he  was  alongside  of  him, 
and  in  another  had  him  by  the  ear.  By  this  lime 
the  whole  pack  had  come  full  cry  on  his  line  in  a 
regular  crash  of  music  all  round  me.  It  was  franti- 
cally exciting,  for  I could  not  tell  how  long  the  good 
old  dog  would  hang  on.  The  boar  was  ploughing 
his  way  through  the  dense  undergrowth,  dragging 
Zulu  with  him,  and  I feared  every  moment  the  slips 
would  catch  in  the  bashes  and  choke  him  off.  I 
seized  the  spear  that  the  dog-boy  ahvays  carries  to 
meet  emergencies  of  this  kind,  and  rushed  down 
with  the  pack.  Twenty  yards  or  so  down  the  slope  I 
caught  the  boar  up,  going  slowly,  with  the  whole 
pack  baying  at  him.  Not  a hound  would  touch  him 
though,  most  of  them  having  had  a severe  lesson 
taught  them  at  previous  encounters  w'ith  Hus  indi- 
cus.  It  did  not  take  me  as  long  as  it  takes  me  to 
write  this  to  get  the  spear  into  the  brute’s  side.  Then 
jamming  it  well  home,  I gave  the  butt  end  to  one 
of  my  men  to  hold,  and  my  knife  soon  did  the  rest. 
As  quickly  as  possible  I got  my  hounds  together, 
and  examined  all  carefully.  Zulu  had  four  skin 
wounds  over  his  ribs,  inflicted,  I imagine,  when  the 
boar  first  knocked  him  over.  Rip,  one  of  my  Col- 
chester lurchers,  I found  badly  hurt,  a large  double 
or  treble  gash  in  the  thigh  cutting  through  the 
large  tendons  and  down  to  the  bone.  He  was  the 
hound  I had  heard  howling  at  the  first  hay,  and 
had  crawled  out  on  to  the  patana,  where  I found 
him  lying.  He  never  recovered,  and  had  to  be  shot 
some  mouths  afterw'ards.  Hector,  a strong,  plucky, 
half-bred  dog,  had  two  deep  cuts  in  his  hind 
quarters  ; .Juno,  a foxhound,  had  a deep  wound  in 
her  chest ; and  two  or  three  others  had  a slight  skin 
wound.  I had  no  means  of  weighing  the  boar  in 
camp,  but  he  was  one  of  the  heaviest  I have  ever 
killed,  and  stood  over  32  in.  at  the  withers.  His 
tusks  are  wonderfully  perfect  and  sharp,  and  measure 
just  under  9 in. 
On  looking  over  the  pack  I found  three  of  my 
best  foxhounds  were  missing.  This  was  a shock  to 
me  for  I naturally  feared  more  damage  had  been 
done,  and  I was  just  going  into  the  jungle  again  to 
ljuk  for  them  when  I heard  in  the  distance  the 
familiar  note  of  good  old  Lifter.  Far  away  on  the 
patana  I could  see  three  white  objects  flashing  across 
to  the  nearest  jungle.  Giving  the  disabled  hounds 
in  charge  of  my  coolies  I ran  my  best  speed  across 
to  where  Bountiful,  Gossamer,  and  Lifter  were  throw- 
ing there  tongues  to  a merry  tune.  I laid  on  the 
rest  of  the  pack  and  soon  there  was  a grand  chorus 
in  the  big  jungle  under  Hudugalla.  I now  sent  for 
my  three  long  dogs,  and  by  the  time  they  arrived 
X heard  a “running  liay’’  about  a quarter  of  a mile 
in,  and  felt  sure  then  that  hounds  were  running  a good 
stag.  The  baying  of  the  hounds  now'  began  to  approach 
the  patana,  and  getting  forward  Siniler,  my  fastest 
seizer,  I was  just  in  time  to  see  a fine  stag,  some 
300  yards  off',  trotting  across  the  open  towards  the 
nearest  jungle.  Taking  advantage  of  a slight  ridge 
on  the  patana  which  lay  between  me  and  the  stag, 
I got  .:,miler  well  forw'ard,  and  as  soon  as  I was  sure 
he  had  viewed  him  he  was  slipped.  It  was  a pretty 
course,  but  not  room  enough  for  the  dog  to  reach  him 
before  he  dashed  into  the  jungle  at  full  gallop.  I 
could  see  he  had  a grand  head,  the  points  of  his  well 
polished  antlers  flashing  white  in  the  bright  morning 
sun.  In  a few  minutes  the  leading  hounds  were 
racing  across  the  patana  on  his  line,  and  with  a few 
touches  on  the  horn  I hurried  up  the  laggards.  I 
could  now'  guess  fairly  well  his  “ point,  ’ especially 
as  I was  sure  he  was  the  stag  that  had  beaten  me 
before,  and  running  all  I knew  to  where  I supposed 
he  would  again  face  the  open  and  cross  the  river  I 
saw  his  galloping  slots  on  the  grassy  bank  of  the 
stream,  and  at  the  same  moment  heard  hounds  goino’ 
hard  on  my  right  t,ome  300  feet  above  me. 
Getting  over  the  ridge  where  I had  last  heard  tongue, 
I again  heard  a “ bay  ’’  about  half  a mile  off. 
The  country  here  was  rather  broken,  sharp 
spurs  running  down  from  the  main  ridge  and  forming 
deep  ravines  with  very  steep  sides.  The  jungle  on 
the  nuain  ridge  being  too  dense  to  allow  of  any  pace, 
I had  to  take  the  broken  country,  thus  giving  more 
time  than  I liked  for  the  stag  to  get  his  wind.  As  I 
climbed  the  last  hill  to  the  bay,  1 could  hear  every 
now  and  then  the  heavy  strokes  of  his  fore  feet 
as  he  pounded  at  the  more  venturesome  hounds 
around  him.  AYithin  three  yards  of  him,  I could 
see  his  head  just  above  the  undergrowth.  I gave 
the  order  to  slip  the  seizers,  but  he  either  winded 
me  or  heard  me,  for  away  he  dashed  pneo  more, 
crashing  the  “ nillu  ” like  a young  elephant. 
