ALARM OF THE NATIVES.

223

other parts of the island, but every other

species of game abounded in the countr}"^
tln'ough which we were journeying. Oiu-

progress, therefore, it may be easily conceived,

was by no means a rapid one, for as we had
not very far to go, and had plenty of time
in which to accompHsh our journey, we in-

dulged in a little straggling shooting by the

way. We were now approaching our destina-
tion for the evening, and perceiving symptoms
in the sky of a coming storm, pushed on our
horses to get under shelter as soon as possible.
A smart trot, however, brought us speedily up .

to a company of natives, whom we soon recog-

nized as our guide and coohes. They had
started many hours before us, and we fondly
anticipated that akeady preparations for dinner

were far advanced. The cause of their deten-

tion was speedily made apparent to us in the
huge footmarks of an elephant which appeared
to have recently passed along the road in the
same direction as that in which we were travel-

hng. There were numerous indications around,

to prove that it was a rogue elephant, and
hence their alarm and hesitation. One who
has not witnessed it can scarcely have an idea
 —

224 WILD ELEPH-YXT.

of the dread with which a native of Ceylon is

affected when under the impression that a

rogue elephant is in his vicinity.
A herd of wild elephants is comparatively
harmless, and I have frequently passed within
a short distance of them unmolested. On
horseback the sohtary traveller is perfectly safe,

though he may accidentally find himself in the

middle of a herd; and even the pedestrian

runs little chance of molestation under similar
circumstances ; but with a rogue the case is

altogether different. Why this particular de-

signation was applied to them I never could

discover, it being quite inadequate to convey any
idea of the mad and savage fuiy of the animal.
The " rogue " appears to be one banished,
for some misdemeanour probably, from his

herd —generally, but not invariably, a male

and from that moment devoting himself to the

slaughter of all animal hfe and the destruction

of all property tliat comes within his reach.
Hence, whilst the natives have little dread of
travelling on a road on which the footmarks of
numerous elephants are apparent, they are
almost paralyzed by fear when they find the

recent traces of a solitary wild prowler on their

 PREPARATIONS FOR ATTACK. 225

path. To a European these traces would pro-

bably never be perceptible. He might travel
across them for days, and never observe them ;

but to the quick eye of the natives the huge

footmark is at once apparent ; the direction in
which the animal travels is discovered in a
moment, and indications at once sought to
ascertain the fact of its being alone or in
company —a rogue or tame.
The halting of our coolies was, therefore, at
once accounted for, although they had no hesi-
tation to advance with us, feeling safe in our
horses and rifles. Even a rogue elephant will
scarcely attack a man on horseback, unless
wounded or greatly enraged, such is the natural
antipathy between his species and that of the
horse- —an antipathy wliich is quite reciprocal.
Having carefully loaded our rifles with zinc
bullets —the lead being often too soft for the
forehead of the elephant —we proceeded with
increased alacrity, neither Hofer nor myself
displeased at the prospect of an adventure.
Having judiciously made all necessary dispo-
sitions and arrangements in case of an attack,

and determined on our line of conduct, we pur-

sued the train of thought until we were can-
vassing what was to be done with the monster's
L 3
226 DIXNER DELAYED.

tusks after he had fallen, when the huge foot-

steps branched off from our path deep mto the
jungle, whither, at that late hour, it would
have been madness to pm'sue our intended
antagonist. Our guide was certain that we
had not seen the last of him, declaring that he
had only left the road to skht the village,

which we were approaching, and that we

should probably hear or see more of him next
day.
Nothing particularl}^ interesting occurred at

the little village where we passed the night,

save that our good humour was not increased
by the delay which attended the preparations
for dinner —a delay occasioned by the stoppage
of the coohes on their road, but which, to our
astonishment and indignation, we found was
increased by Poonchy's determination to have
his own dinner before he provided us with ours
— liis only excuse being, that such was always
" black man's custom."
Next morning we departed in excellent
spirits, more anxious than ever for a glimpse
at, and an encounter with, our disturber of the
previous evening. Nor were om* wishes vain.

The coohes, with our guide, had as usual gone

on ahead in the morning, and we were waging
 SHOOTING A DEER, 227

a desultory warfare against the few jackals and

hares which we occasionally met, when a re-
markahly fine spotted deer crossed our path,
and rushed into the adjoining forest. Our
horses were fresh, the forest was open, and
neither of us could resist the temptation of
dashing after it, for it had appeared, and disap-
peared so rapidly as to prevent our having a
shot. Five minutes hard riding brought us to
the foot of a hUl, comparatively destitute of
vegetation ; up which, straight before us, the
deer, which was a large noble one, was rapidly
fleeing. We pulled our horses up on a spot
commanding a full view of the entire hill side,

our i-ifles, loaded with ball in both barrels,

being in our hands. Hofer fired as he sat,

whilst I, less confident of my horse's steadiness,

jumped from his back, and fired somewhat

more leisurelj'-. The animal received both
balls —one in his foot, the other close to the
spine- — and, staggering on a few paces, fell

dead under- a magnificent mangoe tree. Our

grooms were speedily at our heels, and, in com-
pany with them, we ascended the hill, near the
summit of which the deer had fallen, at once
to inspect our prize and to obtain a view of the
surrounding country. The animal was a beau-
228 ATTACK OF THE ELEPHANT.

tiful specimen of the class to which he belonged

— large in size, comparatively speaking, that
is, about the size of a full-grown goat, and
covered with the most variegated and lovely
variety of spots upon his glossy coat. As we
were not likely to have anything better for
dinner at Ratnapoora, we resolved to have liim
conveyed there, and, for that purpose, ordered

the grooms to carry him to the nearest station,

where two extra cooHes could be pressed into

our service.
This matter concluded, we leisurely skirted
the hills, proceeding towards the summit, and
advancing in the same direction as the road
which wound round its base. From our new
position we had a fine view of the country
around. Tlie coolies were just visible at a
considerable distance a-head, fear or laziness
evidently preventing them from advancing
with any rapidity. We were on the point of
mounting to resume our journey, when Hofer
called my attention to a strange commotion in
the jungle at a httle distance from the cooUes,
who were tlyiug from it in all directions. In
another moment we saw a large tusk elephant
emerging from the thicket, and making directly
i'or the little part}^
 DISMAY OF THE NATIVES. i2d

A more formidable tiling than a charge from

an enraged elephant, can scarcely l»e imagined.
His trunk elevated in the air, whilst he
trumpets forth loudly his rage or hatred, he
shuffles his huge carcase along at a pace more
rapid than any one would conceive possible
when regarding the unwieldy bulk of the
animal alone. The bushes bend before liim as

he advances —the branches of the trees snap

off with sharp, rapid reports —the animals in
the neigbouring jungle, alarmed at the danger,
hoot, whoop, scream, cry, bellow, and roar to
the utmost, in alarm or in anger, and the
whole welkin rings with the commotion.
Our baggage was of course flung down in all
directions by the coohes as they made for the

nearest trees. The elephant paused for a

moment over the articles strewed in his way,
but only for a moment, and hurhng a port-
manteau high into the air, advanced as before,
bellowing madly. The natives are, of course,
expert climbers, so that, ere he approached, all

the coolies had made their way into the trees,

and appeared to be perfectly safe — all but one,
who had still a leg within reach of the
monster's trunk when he approached the tree
in which the unfortunate man, paralyzed by
230 COOLIE KILIiED BY

fear, no doubt, was climbing. To tbe others

who siuTOTiiided him, and to us from the Ijrow
of the neigbouring hill, it appeared that the
man was sufficiently high in the tree to prevent
Ills being caught and dragged down by the
infiuiated animal. Wliether he was so caught,
however, or was only struck and fell through
excessive fear, certain it is we saw him fall

backwards on the uplifted head of the ele-

phant ! In a moment the body of the unfor-

tunate man was whirling high in the air, and
at length descended with a frightful thump
upon the ground, only to be trampled imme-
diately afterwards into a shapeless mass !

His success in tliis mstance, which was all

the work of a moment or two, appeared but to

increase the savage fury of the monster. He
rushed at the tree nearest to him, into which
two of the httle band had climbed, his broad

forehead coming with thundering force upon

the ti'unk, and shaking it m every twig —he
stiiick and dug at it with Ms tusks —he grasped
it Avith his trunk — retreated to a httle distance
and made another assault with his broad, heavy
forehead, butting, as a ram would do against
an antagonist —again was the tree shaken,
every leaf quivering violently, but no sign of
 THE DTFURIATED ANIMAL. 231

tumbling about it, a slight list to one side was

the only percej)tible result — its occupants
holding on for life all the time, and shouting
violently in the extremity of their fear, or in
the vain hope of frightening the animal away.
Wliilst all tliis was proceeding we were
reloading the discharged barrels of our rifles,

and, having mounted, drew ofl" the attention of

the elephant from the cooHes, by shouting, as
we awaited him on om- vantage ground, on the
brow of the hill. No sooner did the enemy
perceive us than he turned away from the tree,
which he seemed intent on bringing down, and
made directly for the spot on which we were
drawn up ready to receive him —our grooms
having climbed high into the largest tree in
om' vicinity. We were aware that firing at

random, or at any great distance, was useless,

and that our only chance of bringing him down

lay in the accuracy of our aim and his
proximity when we fixed. We therefore
awaited his approach with what calmness we
could. Before the elephant had come within
range, however, *'
Uncle Toby," my excellent
steed, took fright at the dreadtul pictm-e before

him, and, starting off, bore me, with frightful

rapidity, down the steepest part of the hiU's
 —

232 SUCCESSFUL FIRE.

side. Wliat became of Hofer I did not then

know, althougli I heard the clear ring of his

rifle behind me as I was borne triumphantly

down the bank. His horse, as I subsequently
learned, had behaved admirably well, never
swerving in the least until he had fired. His
ball, we afterwards discovered, had entered the
left eye, and must have given excruciating
pain, but was not fatal. Hofer then wheeled
round his horse, and followed me down the
dechvity, aware that the elephant, from the
great weight of its head, is unable to go down
a steep hill with any rapidity. There was this
difference, however, between us, that wliilst

Uncle Toby had the bit clenched in his teeth

and was perfectly unmanageable from excessive

fear, Hofer' s horse was completely in hand,
and he could do with him w^hat he pleased.

The elephant laboured after us, blood streaming

from his eye, and liis whole appearance indi-
cating excessive fury and intense pain. When
I hadnow nearly reached the base of the hill
our enemy having been left far behind my —
horse, in his wild gallop, threw his fore-legs

into a httle swamp, where they sank deeply.

I was thrown far away over his head, whilst

he rolled helplessly on his side. I was not

 DEATH OF THE ELEPHANT. 233

hurt, but the loss of a moment might have

been the loss of my life, so, jumping up, I
grasped my rifle more firmly than ever, and
stood upon the defensive. A moment of
intense interest to both of us succeeded — life

or death hmig upon the issue, for the elephant,

having witnessed the accident, left the pursuit
of Hofer, and directed his steps towards me.
There might have been time to climb into a
tree, but I did not make the attempt —my
whole mind being on fire with the earnest
desire to bring down the monster. Hofer,
seeing what had happened, drew up his horse

on the hill's side —the elephant, still ad-

vancmg, soon came in a line with him, his left,

and now blind side, being turned towards him.

Seeing that he was not observed, Hofer dis-

mounted, and proceeded to take aim imme-

diately behind the shoulder-blade, as the
animal laboured heavily along. Precisely at
the moment when I discharged both barrels
full into the broad forehead, Hofer's ball pene-
trated liis side. A momentary check to the
animal's progress seemed the only result of
this double fire at the instant —he advanced
twenty paces or so further, and then fell head-
long to the earth, turning over gradually on
234 NERVOUS EXCITEMENT.

his right side, and beating the ground ineffec-

tually ^vith his trunk. Uncle Toby had only

just left tlie spot a few minutes before to
scamper ^dldly away on the road that we had
come, where the elephant now lay extended
before us, an occasional conTulsive twitch of
one of his legs or of his trunk the only
failing symptoms of life. The huge mass of
his body stood higher than my chest as he lay
thus helplessly where he had fallen, making
an occasional but ineffectual effort to hft his

head off the marsh in which it was half im-

bedded.
IMost people, I beHeve, feel danger affect the
nei^es to the greatest degree after it has
passed. I am sm^e it was so with me. When
the enormous brute was charging rapidly down
the hill, when there seemed no chance of escape
by flight, and the slightest accident might
have been death —under these circumstances
my nerves were so strung to their greatest
tension that there was no agitation. I was as
able then to take advantage of the slightest
turn in my favour, as if our sport had been
most harmless, and we had been hunting a
hare instead of an elephant. But now that
the peril was past, now that the body of the
 TALES OF TILE NATIVES. 235

huge animal lay extended before me in all the

impotence of death, a sense of the danger I
had been in rushed 'upon me with redoubled
force, and I was amazingly agitated.
It may be easily unagined with what plea-
sure we added the tusks to our trophies, and
with what self-gratulation and laudation we
Hstened calmly to the tales which Poonchy
had collected or invented of the numerous de-

predations made in the neighbourhood by our

slaughtered foe —of the lives lost, of the planta-

tions destroyed, the trees uprooted, the terror

inspired, and the dangers to which travellers

were exposed — all done or caused, according

to Poonchy's account, by the animal of which
we had just rid the country. Nor, strange
to say, although at other times we regarded
Poonchy as an unconscionable bar, did we
perceive at the moment anything absurd or
unlikely in his assertions —
nay, we were quite
wining "for that occasion only," to swallow
all he gave us, however hard the pabulum
might subsequently prove of digestion.

At Eatnapoora we were obhged to leave our

horses —
Uncle Toby having been recovered
only after great labour and a day's loss — as

the rest of our journey was to be performed on