s into the plain.
I thought I could cut this fellow off, and, taking my big rifle, I
dismounted and crept cautiously towards him. He winded me before I had
gone many paces, gave a shrill trumpet of alarm, and started off for the
jungle; the rest of the herd vanished like magic, while I ran after the
bull elephant at my best speed. He was too quick for me, and I could
not gain upon him, so, halting suddenly, I took a steady shot at his ear
with the four-ounce at about seventy yards. Down he went to the shot,
but I heard him roar as he lay upon the ground, and I knew he would be
up again in a moment. In the same instant, as I dropped my empty rifle,
a double-barrelled gun was pushed into my hand, and I ran up to him,
just in time to catch him as he was half risen. Feeling sure of him, I
ran up within two yards of his head and fired into his forehead. To
my amazement he jumped quickly up, and with a loud trumpet he rushed
towards the jungle. I could just keep close alongside him, as the grass
was short and the ground level, and being determined to get him, I ran
close to his shoulder, and, taking a steady shot behind the ear, I fired
my remaining barrel. Judge of my surprise!--it only increased his speed,
and in another moment he reached the jungle: he was gone. He seemed to
bear a charmed life. I had taken two shots within a few feet of him that
I would have staked my life upon. I looked at my gun. Ye gods! I had
been firing SNIPE SHOT at him. It was my rascally horse-keeper, who
had actually handed me the shot-gun, which I had received as the
double-barrelled ball-gun that I knew was carried by a gun-bearer. How
I did thrash him! If the elephant had charged instead of making off I
should have been caught to a certainty.

This day's shooting was the last day of good sport that I ever had at
Minneria. It was in June, 1847. The next morning I moved my encampment
and started homewards. To my surprise I saw a rogue elephant drinking in
the lake, within a quarter of a mile of me; but the Fates were against
his capture. I stalked him as well as I could, but he winded me, and
came on in full charge with his trunk up. The heavy rifle fortunately
turned but did not kill him, and he escaped in thorny jungle, through
which I did not choose to follow.

On my way to the main road from Trincomalee to Kandy I walked on through
the jungle path, about a mile ahead of my followers, to look out
for game. Upon arriving at the open country i