Once more the four-ounce buried itself in his skull, and he fell
dead.
Palliser and Wortley came up just as I was endeavouring to track up the
herd, which I had now lost sight of in the forest. Following upon their
tracks, we soon came in view of them. Away we went as fast as we could
run towards them, but I struck my shin against a fallen tree, which cut
me to the bone, and pitched me upon my head. The next moment, however,
we were up with the elephants: they were standing upon a slope of rock
facing us, but regularly dumbfounded at their unremitting pursuit; they
all rolled over to a volley as we came up, two of them being calves.
Palliser killed the two biggest right and left, he being some paces in
advance.
This was one of the best hunts that I have ever shared in. The chase had
lasted for nearly an hour. There had been thirteen elephants originally
in the herd, every one of which had been bagged by fair running. Wortley
had fired uncommonly well, as he had killed the three elephants which he
and Palliser had chased, one of which had given them a splendid run and
had proved restive. The elephant took fifteen shots before she fell, and
this accounted for the continual firing which I had heard during my
chase of the other section. We had killed fourteen elephants during the
day, and we returned to the 'amblam', having had as fine sport as Ceylon
can afford.
December 7.--This, being Sunday, was passed in quiet; but a general
cleaning of guns took place, to be ready for the morrow.
Dec. 8.--We went over many miles of ground without seeing a fresh
track. We had evidently disturbed the country on this side of the river,
and we returned towards the 'amblam', determined to cross the river
after breakfast and try the opposite side.
When within a mile of the 'amblam' we heard deer barking, and, leaving
all our gun-bearers and people behind, we carefully stalked to the spot.
The ground was very favourable, and, having the wind, we reached an
excellent position among some trees within sixty yards of the herd of
deer, who were standing in a little glade. Wortley and I each killed a
buck; Palliser wounded a doe, which we tracked for a great distance by
the blood, but at length lost altogether.
After breakfast we crossed the large river which flows near the
'amblam', and then entered a part of the 'Park' that we had not yet
beaten.
Keeping to our left, we entered a fine forest, and skirted the base of a
range of rocky mountains. In this forest we saw deer and wild buffalo,
but we would not fire a shot, as we had just discovered the fresh track
of a rogue elephant.
