348 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WA YS 
CHAP. 
The climate was exceedingly hot, as it is 
throughout the low country of Ceylon; it was 
therefore impossible to hunt with dogs, except in the 
earliest hours of sunrise. 
I then rode out with about a dozen of my men, 
and a couple of greyhounds in slips. There was 
plenty of game, therefore we were never long 
without seeing deer. Sometimes we espied at a 
long distance a herd of axis. We then did 
our best to stalk them, leading the two greyhounds 
in the slips. 
This was a very delightful sport, as the work was 
on horseback instead of toiling throughout the day 
on foot, as in Newera Ellia, when hunting sambur 
deer. 
When a herd of cheetul were approached within 
150 yards, I slipped the dogs. It was a beautiful 
sight to see the highly trained greyhounds select 
their deer. Killbuck despised a doe, and invariably 
picked out a buck, which he would quickly separate 
from the herd, and course single-handed across the 
open, until the opportunity offered, when by a well- 
prepared spring he fixed upon the ear. Being well 
mounted, I was always in view ; and riding to the 
spot where he was holding the buck, I dismounted 
and gave it the usual thrust behind the shoulder. 
This was my best dog, but he met his death 
upon an occasion when we happened to come across 
a very grand buck that was a born fighter. 
As usual, the dog had the speed of the deer 
upon favourable ground : I was going my best to 
