I now regretted my absent
gun-bearers, as I plainly saw that these village people would be
worse than useless.
We determined to take a stroll along the base of the dam to
reconnoitre the ground, as at present it seemed impossible to
make an attack; and even were the elephants within the forest,
there appeared to be no possibility of following them up through
such deep water and heavy ground with any chance of success.
however, they were not in the forest, being safe, belly and
shoulder deep, in the tank.
We strolled through mud and water thigh-deep for a few hundred
paces, when we suddenly came upon the spot where in ages past the
old dam had been carried away. Here the natives had formed a mud
embankment strengthened by sticks and wattles. Poor fellows! we
were not surprised at their wishing the elephants destroyed; the
repair of their fragile dam was now a daily occupation, for the
elephants, as though out of pure mischief, had chosen this spot
as their thoroughfare to and from the lake, and the dam was
trodden down in all directions.
We found that the margin of the forest was everywhere flooded to
a width of about two hundred yards, after which it was tolerably
dry; we therefore returned to our former post.
It struck me that the only way to secure a shot at the herd would
be to employ a ruse, which I had once practiced successfully some
years ago. Accordingly we sent the greater part of the villagers
for about a half a mile along the edge of the lake, with orders
to shout and make a grand hullaballoo on arriving at their
station. It seemed most probable that on being disturbed the
elephants would retreat to the forest by their usual
thoroughfare; we accordingly stood on the alert, ready for a rush
to any given point which the herd should attempt in their
retreat.
Some time passed in expectation, when a sudden yell broke from
the far point, as though twenty demons had cramp in the stomach.
Gallant fellows are the Cingalese at making a noise, and a grand
effect this had upon the elephants; up went tails and trunks, the
whole herd closed together and made a simultaneous rush for their
old thoroughfare. Away we skipped through the water, straight in
shore through the forest, until we reached the dry ground, when,
turning sharp to our right, we soon halted exactly opposite the
point at which we knew the elephants would enter the forest.
This was grand excitement; we had a great start of the herd, so
that we had plenty of time to arrange gun-bearers and take our
position for the rencontre.
