possible before we deliver our shot; and few people ever think of firing at a greater distance than twelve or fifteen paces from the elephant. There are three mortal parts in his head, one being in the hollow part of the forehead, about the size of a soup-plate, and the other part being in each temple (very nearly the same size); a ball delivered in these parts must cause instant death by penetrating into the brain; and when a man knows the exact spot from experience, and possesses presence of mind, there is no reason why he should not shoot as many elephants as he would cats, provided his gun does not fail him; and it is chiefly, if not entirely, by the snapping of a percussion cap, or hanging fire of a charge, that accidents alone occur in this sport. However, our game is alarmed; and, running about, and shrieking, they rush over to the party who have attacked them in flank. A steady, well-directed fire is poured upon them, when each exchanges his discharged piece for the loaded one waiting for him. The animals are now in most admired disorder; some, perhaps, are wounded, and are running against each other, and trumpeting most horribly. And now is the time for slaughter. If you are an incipient elephant shot, now is your opportunity, by taking it coolly, to earn yourself reputation. Single out some old fellow. Keep your gun in readiness; and as, in his confusion, he presents his front, send in your ounce of lead; and you have the pleasure of seeing him sink noiselessly to the earth. The fall of an elephant one would imagine would shake the ground with its weight; but nothing can be quieter or more easy than the manner in which they fall. They sink down to the ground, rather than fall: and were it not for your seeing them drop, you would not know that they were down. If an elephant rushes at you, give him your barrel; and either step on one side, or if you have not time to do this, throw yourself flat on the ground, and let him pass over you; of course you stand a chance of having his foot upon you; but not being very clear-sighted, they fancy they see some object on the ground, and step over it as they would over a stone or stump of a tree. Our herd having received the fire of the flanking party, now seek an opening through which they may escape; but our elephant finder has placed himself on the only unguarded side; and, waving his long white wand, prevents the animals (such a terror have they of these white sticks) from escaping, except through the ranks of the hunters. Out of the twelve three only are now remaining; some dead: others, mortally wounded, are lying on the ground, their dying carcasses heaving with throes like those of the Titans. Have a care now, young ones! a dying elephant is a fearful customer to deal with: once get within the reach of his proboscis, and your life is not worth the value of a pin's head. Moreover, they frequently fall stunned; and, when one little expects it, perhaps, when having one foot on its carcass to steady the aim on another, up jumps the gentleman, as if nothing had happened, and then sauve qui peut; that is to say, you are most likely in for a running match. It has frequently happened that they will fall in this way, and allow the ends of their tails to be cut off (which is the trophy, and the only one the sportsman can obtain for his prowess, unless he meet a tusker), and, afterwards, having come to life, have walked off, and like little Bo Peep's sheep, "Have left their tails behind them.” 66 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 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 tushless; 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 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, |