Wallace, with the Rhatamahatmeya and the trackers, had arrived, and we
resolved to start for Cowdelle at daybreak on the following morning.
Nov. 21.--Having made our preparations over night for an early start,
we were off at daybreak, carrying with us the cook with his utensils,
and the canteen containing everything that could be required for
breakfast. We were thus prepared for a long day's work, should it be
necessary.
After a ride of about eight miles along a sandy path, bordered by dense
jungle, we arrived at the open but marshy ground upon which we had seen
the tracks of the herd a few days previous. Fresh elephant tracks had
accompanied us the whole way along our path, and a herd was evidently
somewhere in the vicinity, as the path was obstructed in many places by
the branches of trees upon which they had been feeding during the night.
The sandy ground was likewise printed with innumerable tracks of elk,
deer, hogs and leopards. We halted under some wide-spreading trees,
beneath which, a clear stream of water rippled over a bed of white
pebbles, with banks of fine green sward. In this spot were unmistakable
tracks of elephants, where they had been recently drinking. The country
was park-like, but surrounded upon its borders with thick jungles;
clumps of thorny bushes were scattered here and there, and an abundance
of good grass land water ensured a large quantity of game. The elephants
were evidently not far off, and of course were well secured in the
thorny jungles
Wortley had never yet seen a wild elephant, and a dense jungle is by no
means a desirable place for an introduction to this kind of game. It is
a rule of mine never to follow elephants in such ground, where they
generally have it all their own way; but, as there are exceptions to all
rules, we determined to find them, after having taken so much trouble in
making our arrangements.
We unsaddled, and ordered breakfast to be ready for our return beneath
one of the most shady trees; having loaded, we started off upon the
tracks. As I had expected, they led to a thick thorny jungle, and slowly
and cautiously we followed the leading tracker. The jungle became worse
and worse as we advanced, and had it not been for the path which the
elephants had formed, we could not have moved an inch. The leaves of the
bushes were wet with dew, and we were obliged to cover up all the
gun-locks to prevent any of them missing fire. We crept for about a
quarter of a mile upon this track, when the sudden snapping of a branch
a hundred paces in advance plainly showed that we were up with the game.
This is the exciting moment in elephant-shooting, and every breath is
held for a second intimation of the exact position of the herd. A deep,
guttural sound, like the rolling of very distant thunder, is heard,
accompanied by the rustling and cracking of the branches as they rub
their tough sides against the trees. Our advance had been so stealthy
that they were perfectly undisturbed. Silently and carefully we crept
up, and in a few minutes I distinguished two immense heads exactly
facing us at about ten paces distant. Three more indistinct forms loomed
in the thick bushes just behind the leaders.
A quiet whisper to Wortley to take a cool shot at the left-hand
elephant, in the exact centre of the forehead, and down went the two
leaders! Wortley's and mine; quickly we ran into the herd, before they
knew what had happened, and down went another to V Baker's shot. The
smoke hung in such thick volumes that we could hardly see two yards
before us, when straight into the cloud of smoke an elephant rushed
towards us. V. Baker fired, but missed; and my left-hand barrel
extinguished him. Running through the smoke with a spare rifle I killed
the last elephant. They were all bagged--five elephants within thirty
seconds from the first shot fired. Wortley had commenced well, having
killed his first elephant with one shot.
We found breakfast ready on our return to the horses, and having
disturbed this part of the country by the heavy volley at the herd, we
returned to Minneria.
I was convinced that we could expect no sport in this neighbourhood; we
therefore held a consultation as to our line of country.
Some years ago I had entered the north of the Veddah country from this
point, and I now proposed that we should start upon a trip of discovery,
and endeavour to penetrate from the north to the south of the Veddah
country into the 'Park.' No person had ever shot over this route, and
the wildness of the idea only increased the pleasure of the trip. We had
not the least idea of the distance, but we knew the direction by a
pocket compass.
There was but one objection to the plan, and this hinged upon the
shortness of V. Baker's leave. He had only ten days unexpired, and it
seemed rash, with so short a term, to plunge into an unknown country;
however, he was determined to push on, as he trusted in the powers of an
extraordinary pony that would do any distance on a push. This
determination, however destroyed a portion of the trip, as we were
obliged to pass quickly through a lovely sporting country, to arrive at
a civilised, or rather an acknowledged, line of road by which he could
return to Kandy.
