Buck . . Killed at the foot of Pedro.
8. Buck . . Killed in the Barrack Plain.
11. Two Bucks . Killed on Kicklamane Patina.
24. Two Does . Killed on Newera Ellia Plain.
28. Boar . . Killed on Elk Plains.
29. Doe . . Killed at the ` Rest and be Thankful bottom
Total--28 Elk (11 Bucks, 17 Does), and 4 Hogs.
This is a tolerable show of game when it is considered that the sport
continues from year to year; there are no seasons at which time the game
is spared, but the hunting depends simply on the weather. Three times a
week the pack turns out in the dry season, and upon every fine day
during the wet months. It must appear a frightful extravagance to
English ideas to feed the hounds upon venison, but as it costs nothing,
it is a cheaper food than beef, and no other flesh is procurable in
sufficient quantity. Venison is in its prime when the elk's horns are in
velvet. At this season, when the new antlers have almost attained their
full growth, they are particularly tender, and the buck moves slowly and
cautiously through the jungle, lest he should injure them against the
branches, taking no further exercise than is necessary in the search of
food. He therefore grows very fat, and is then in fine condition.
The speed of an elk, although great, cannot be compared to that of the
spotted deer. I have seen the latter almost distance the best greyhounds
for the first 200 yards, but with this class of dogs the elk has no
chance upon fair open ground. Coursing the elk, therefore, is a
short-lived sport, as the greyhounds run into him immediately, and a
tremendous struggle then ensues, which must be terminated as soon as
possible by the knife, otherwise the dogs would most probably be
wounded. I once saw Killbuck perform a wonderful feat in seizing. A buck
elk broke cover in the Elk Plains, and I slipped a brace of greyhounds
after him, Killbuck and Bran. The buck had a start of about 200 yards,
but the speed of the greyhounds told rapidly upon him, and after a
course of a quarter of a mile, they were at his haunches, Killbuck
leading. The next instant he sprang in full fly, and got his hold by the
ear. So sudden was the shock, that the buck turned a complete
somersault, but, recovering himself immediately, he regained his feet,
and started off at a gallop down hill towards a stream, the dog still
hanging on. In turning over in his fall, the ear had twisted round, and
Killbuck, never having left his hold, was therefore on his back, in
which position he was dragged at great speed over the rugged ground.
Notwithstanding the difficulty of his position, he would not give up his
hold. In the meantime, Bran kept seizing the other ear, but continually
lost his hold as the ear gave way. Killbuck's weight kept the buck's
head on a level with his knees; and after a run of some hundred yards,
during the whole of which, the dog had been dragged upon his back
without once losing his hold, the elk's pace was reduced to a walk. With
both greyhounds now hanging on his ears, the buck reached the river, and
he and the dogs rolled down the steep bank into the deep water. I came
up just at this moment and killed the elk, but both dogs were
frightfully wounded, and for some time I despaired of their recovery.
This was an extraordinary feat in seizing; but Killbuck was matchless in
this respect, and accordingly of great value, as he was sure to retain
his hold when he once got it. This is an invaluable qualification in a
dog, especially with boars, as any uncertainty in the dog's hold,
renders the advance of the man doubly dangerous. I have frequently seen
hogs free themselves from a dog's hold at the very moment that I have
put the knife into them; this with a large boar is likely to cause an
accident.
I once saw a Veddah who nearly lost his life by one of these animals. He
was hunting 'guanas' (a species of large lizard which is eaten by all
the natives) with several small dogs, and they suddenly found a large
boar, who immediately stood to bay. The Veddah advanced to the attack
with his bow and arrows; but he had no sooner wounded the beast than he
was suddenly charged with great fury. In an instant the boar was into
him, and the next moment the Veddah was lying on the ground with his
bowels out. Fortunately a companion was with him, who replaced his
entrails and bandaged him up. I saw the man some years after; he was
perfectly well, but he had a frightful swelling in the front of the
belly, traversed by a wide blue scar of about eight inches in length.
A boar is at all times a desperate antagonist, where the hunting-knife
and dogs are the only available weapons. The largest that I ever killed,
weighed four hundredweight. I was out hunting, accompanied by my
youngest brother. We had walked through several jungles without success,
but on entering a thick jungle in the Elk Plains we immediately noticed
the fresh ploughings of an immense boar. In a few minutes we heard the
pack at bay without a run, and shortly after a slow running bay-there
was no mistake as to our game. He disdained to run, and, after walking
before the pack for about three minutes, he stood to a determined bay.
The jungle was frightfully thick, and we hastily tore our way through
the tangled underwood towards the spot. We had two staunch dogs by our
side, Lucifer and Lena, and when within twenty paces of the bay, we gave
them a halloa on. Away they dashed to the invisible place of conflict,
and we almost immediately heard the fierce grunting and roaring of the
boar.
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