The buck was standing upon some snow-white quartz rocks when I fired,
and upon an examination of the spot frothy patches of blood showed that
he was struck through the lungs. Men are bloodthirsty animals, for
nothing can exceed the pleasure, after making a long shot, of finding
the blood-track on the spot when the animal is gone. We soon tracked him
up, and found him lying dead in the jungle within twenty yards of the
spot. This buck was the first head of game we had bagged, with the
exception of a young elk that I had shot on horseback during the ride
from Dambool. We had plenty of snipe, and, what with fish, wildfowl, and
venison, our breakfast began to assume an inviting character. After
breakfast we shot a few couple of snipe upon the plain, and in the
evening we formed two parties--Palliser and V. Baker, and Wortley and
myself--and taking different directions, we scoured the country,
agreeing to meet at the tent at dusk.
W. and I saw nothing beyond the fresh tracks of game which evidently
came out only at night. We wandered about till evening, and then
returned towards the tent. On the way I tried a long shot at a heron
with a rifle; he was standing at about a hundred and fifty yards from
us, and by great good luck I killed him.
On arrival at the tent we found P. and V. B., who had returned. They had
been more fortunate in their line of country, having found two rogue
elephants--one in thick jungle, which V. B. fired at and missed; and
shortly after this shot they found another rogue on the plain not far
from the tent. The sun was nearly setting, and shone well in the
elephant's eyes; thus they were able to creep pretty close to him
without being observed, and P. killed him by a good shot with a rifle,
at about twenty-five yards. In my opinion this was the same elephant
that had been seen near the tent early in the morning.
Wallace, with the Rhatamahatmeya and the trackers, had arrived, and we
resolved to start for Cowdelle at daybreak on the following morning.
Nov. 21.--Having made our preparations over night for an early start,
we were off at daybreak, carrying with us the cook with his utensils,
and the canteen containing everything that could be required for
breakfast. We were thus prepared for a long day's work, should it be
necessary.
After a ride of about eight miles along a sandy path, bordered by dense
jungle, we arrived at the open but marshy ground upon which we had seen
the tracks of the herd a few days previous.
