having come to life, have walked off, and like little Bo Peep's sheep, "Have left their tails behind them." Having, at length, become maddened by wounds, and terrified out of natural instinct, the remaining elephants at last make a rush at the ranks of the shooters; and in this charge it is hard if one of them does not receive his quietus, as no better aim can be presented than as they charge directly down on one; their forehead lowered, and directly opposed to one's muzzle. If you can depend on your gun, you are then certain of your prey; but woe be to you if a 66 snap" occurs. Such is the condition of our remaining three. They seem at last to have recovered their self-possession; and, streaming with blood, they rush madly forward, heedless of opposing obstacles. The woods crackle and break under them, like dogs running through a corn field, and in two minutes more they are far, far, away, and out of sight. But just let us give this old fellow, who is making such futile efforts to regain his legs, a shot through the head before he has it more fully to avenge the loss of his tail, of which we shall presently denude him. There! he's dead enough now! How his huge head rolls back on the green turf, like Goliah's pierced by David's pebble! The tails having been duly amputated, and guns re-loaded, a cigar and "nip" of Cognac do material benefit to the constitution; for our nerves having been in the utmost state of tension for the last ten minutes, now become relaxed; and, as the imminence of danger vanishes, we begin to feel rather "all over-ish ;" particularly if we are tyros in the sport, or if we have had a very narrow escape from an animal's trunk by a beautiful shot, "just in time." But it is time for breakfast, and the sun gets hot. Breakfast indeed! to-morrow will be time enough for that! we are "blooded ;" and, like the blooded tiger, we want more; so forward we go, our blood chasing like wildfire through our veins, and our hearts beating as though they would burst. Oh! 'tis a glorious thing to see-to feel the hugest of all Heaven's creatures yield to the puny arm of man! A sudden turn in the jungle brings our leader, who invariably creeps on about twenty paces a-head, to a dead stop. A smile of delight passes over the old boy's physiognomy. He sees a TUSKER! Now, a tusker is an uncommon thing to be found, in proportion to the number of elephants that are tuskless; they are about one in two thousand; and as the tusks, if a first-rate pair, are worth £60 to the person who may be fortunate enough to slay their living possessor, the hope of "filthy lucre" gently amalgamates itself with the feelings of Kudog that may fire his bosom. So suddenly have we come upon the herd, that we have no time to follow the scientific manoeuvres displayed against the first herd; they in their turn, equally alarmed by our sudden appearance, rally round their "worried" comrade in a body, seemingly as compact as the Roman phalanx or the British square-determined to shield the body of their "pet, at the expense of their own lives. As no tactics are required, and as the enemy show undeniable symptoms of meaning to دو stand their ground, all that remains to be done is to walk up and commence hostilities, "keeping an eye to windward," at the same time, in case of a charge; and on no account being without one loaded gun, in case of need. The work of carnage has commenced: two elephants are already on the ground, and, before the hand that killed them has had time to change his gun, a third elephant has singled him out, and charged him! Quick as lightning he flies off, two steps to the side, and the elephant has passed him; and, like a tiger in its spring, if it misses its first onset, it never returns to its victim. Still endeavouring to conceal their heads, the remainder cover with their bodies the tusker; and, until we have brought them down to four or five, we shall have little or no chance of being owners of the tusks. With time and perseverance however, this, as well as everything else, may be accomplished; and then the one who gets the first opening at the vital spot of the tusker delivers his ball, and if he drops him, claims the prize. Great is the delight of both natives and "Europeans" at this event; the former dance round the slaughtered animal in uncontrollable joy, as fervent as if they themselves had done the deed. It puts at least another ten years' life into the old "lord of the manor," who forthwith takes charge of the prize; that is to say, he marks by the surrounding objects the part of the jungle in which the elephant lies dead; and, in a fortnight or three weeks afterwards he goes to the same spot, and, finding the skeleton of the animal, he easily removes the tusks, and faithfully sends them by special messenger to their owner, wherever he may be. The jackalls, in the mean time, have picked the bones as clean as it is possible, leaving what a few weeks before was the pride of the herd, "Unburied, to remain Such, best of lectors, for you must be so, if you have kept pace with us all through, is the "CRACK SPORT OF CEYLON;" and most excellent and exciting sport it is, before one becomes so accustomed to it that it loses its piquancy. The interim hours are, of course, spent to the best advantage. Those among us, also, after breakfast, still exclaim like Hotspur, "I want work," have only to proceed a short distance to fall in with a herd of deer, some snipe, or, should they be still ambitious, with more elephants; but the more rational part of the company having finished a considerable stock of preserved meats, and washed it down by half a dozen of Bass's pale ale, and solaced themselves with a couple of Manillas, " turn in" for a "snooze" till tiffin (or luncheon) time, when the whole party awakes in earnest, and having fixed on the evening's amusement or sport, each follows his own peculiar inclination. A game of cards, or a routine of songs, winds up the evening, after a magnificent dinner, and heartily do we all join in the chorus of "A chosen band, In a mountain land, READY. THE PROPERTY OF SIR JAMES FLOWER, BART. ENGRAVED BY J. SCOTT, FROM A PAINTING BY A. COOPER, R.A. The prettiest in look, the merriest at work, and the evenest in temper, equally in place at the fire or the brook side, equally prized by Lord and Lady, what more shall we say of that ready and steady, both faithful and favoured good servant, the Spaniel?-What more of one who hunts up to his game with a dash and an earnestness, with a half suppressed challenge and a gradually increasing importance, that makes shooting almost as exciting as hunting?-of one who, if he does occasionally, in his energy, sin against the strict law and letter of the field, still errs on the right side; and who takes his correction so humbly, and then goes to work again as cheerfully as if nothing had happened? How can we indeed speak but approvingly of them, one and all, with old Fan looking up at us, so significantly-of a breed of dog, we will say, that enjoys more general favour than any other, and that for excellence of disposition, power of perception, or ability of execution, owns no other variety so worthy of it? There, now, down! get down, old lady, get down with you! for we could'nt make the puff stronger than that, if we tried all day. "Of the water-spaniel," says Mr. Youatt, in his new but already standard work on the dog, "there are two varieties-a larger and smaller, both useful according to the degree of range or work; the smaller, however, being ordinarily preferable. Whatever be his general size, strength and compactness of form are requisite. His head is long, his face smooth, and his limbs, more developed than those of the springer, should be muscular, his carcass round, and his hair long and closely curled. Good breaking is more necessary here than even with the land-spaniel, and fortunately it is more easily accomplished; for the water-spaniel, although a stouter, is a more docile animal than the land one. Docility and affection are stamped on his countenance, and he rivals every other breed in his attachment to his master. His work is double: first to find, when ordered so to do; and to back behind the sportsman, when the game will be more advantageously trodden up. In both he must be taught to be perfectly obedient to the voice, that he may kept within range, and not unnecessarily disturb the birds. A more important part of his duty however, is to find and bring the game that has dropped. To teach him to find is easy enough, for a young water-spaniel will as readily take to the water as a pointer-pup will stop; but to bring his game without tearing is a more difficult lesson, and the most difficult of all is to make him suspend the pursuit of the wounded game, while the sportsman reloads." |