第51章
This was exemplified some time ago, when the three best dogs were nearly lost.A doe elk broke cover from a small jungle at the Horton Plains, and, instead of taking across the patinas (plains), she doubled back to an immense pathless jungle, closely followed by three greyhounds--Killbuck, Bran, and Lena.The first dog, who ran beautifully by nose, led the way, and their direction was of course unknown, as the dogs were all mute.Night came, and they had not returned.The next day passed away, but without a sign of the missing dogs.I sent natives to search the distant jungles and ravines in all directions.Three days passed away, and I gave up all hope of them.We were sitting at dinner one night, the fire was blazing cheerfully within, but the rain was pouring without, the wind was howling in fitful gusts, and neither moon nor stars relieved the pitchy darkness of the night, when the conversation naturally turned to the lost dogs.What a night for the poor brutes to be exposed to, roaming about the wet jungles without a chance of return!
A sudden knock at the door arrested our attention; it opened.Two natives stood there, dripping with wet and shivering with cold.One had in his hand an elk's head, much gnawed; the other man, to my delight, led the three lost dogs.They had run their elk down, and were found by the side of a rocky river several miles distant--the two dogs asleep in a cave, and the bitch was gnawing the remains of the half-consumed animal.The two men who had found them were soon squatted before a comfortable fire, with a good feed of curry and rice, and their skins full of brandy.
Although the elk are so numerous at the Horton Plains, the sport at length becomes monotonous from the very large proportion of the does.
The usual ratio in which they were killed was one buck to eight does.Icannot at all account for this small proportion of bucks in this particular spot.At Newera Ellia they are as two or three compared with the does.The following extract of deaths, taken from my game-book during three months of the year, will give a tolerably accurate idea of the number killed:
1852.
March 24.Doe..Killed in the Elk Plains.
30.Two Does.Killed in Newera Ellia Plain.
April 3.Doe..Killed at the foot of Hack Galla.
5.Buck..Killed at the foot of Pedro.
8.Doe..Killed at the top of the Pass.
13.Buck..Killed at the foot of the Pass.
16.Buck..Killed in the river at the Pass.
19.Doe..Killed on the patinas on Badulla road.
21.Buck..Killed in the river at the base of Pedro.
23.Buck..Killed in Matturatta Plain.
25.Doe..Killed in the Elk Plains.
25.Sow..Killed in the Elk Plains.
27.Boar..Killed at the Limestone Quarry.
May3.Sow..Killed in the Elk Plains.
6.Two Does.Killed in the Barrack Plain.
10.Two Does.One killed in the Barrack Plain, and the other at the bottom of the Pass.
12.Buck..Killed in Newera Ellia Plain.
19.Buck..Killed in the Newera Ellia River.
22.Doe..Killed at the Pioneer Lines-Laboukelle.
31.Two does.Killed in the Barrack Plain.
June 5.Buck..Killed at the foot of Pedro.
8.Buck..Killed in the Barrack Plain.
11.Two Bucks.Killed on Kicklamane Patina.
24.Two Does.Killed on Newera Ellia Plain.
28.Boar..Killed on Elk Plains.
29.Doe..Killed at the ` Rest and be Thankful bottom Total--28 Elk (11 Bucks, 17 Does), and 4 Hogs.
This is a tolerable show of game when it is considered that the sport continues from year to year; there are no seasons at which time the game is spared, but the hunting depends simply on the weather.Three times a week the pack turns out in the dry season, and upon every fine day during the wet months.It must appear a frightful extravagance to English ideas to feed the hounds upon venison, but as it costs nothing, it is a cheaper food than beef, and no other flesh is procurable in sufficient quantity.Venison is in its prime when the elk's horns are in velvet.At this season, when the new antlers have almost attained their full growth, they are particularly tender, and the buck moves slowly and cautiously through the jungle, lest he should injure them against the branches, taking no further exercise than is necessary in the search of food.He therefore grows very fat, and is then in fine condition.
The speed of an elk, although great, cannot be compared to that of the spotted deer.I have seen the latter almost distance the best greyhounds for the first 200 yards, but with this class of dogs the elk has no chance upon fair open ground.Coursing the elk, therefore, is a short-lived sport, as the greyhounds run into him immediately, and a tremendous struggle then ensues, which must be terminated as soon as possible by the knife, otherwise the dogs would most probably be wounded.I once saw Killbuck perform a wonderful feat in seizing.A buck elk broke cover in the Elk Plains, and I slipped a brace of greyhounds after him, Killbuck and Bran.The buck had a start of about 200 yards, but the speed of the greyhounds told rapidly upon him, and after a course of a quarter of a mile, they were at his haunches, Killbuck leading.The next instant he sprang in full fly, and got his hold by the ear.So sudden was the shock, that the buck turned a complete somersault, but, recovering himself immediately, he regained his feet, and started off at a gallop down hill towards a stream, the dog still hanging on.In turning over in his fall, the ear had twisted round, and Killbuck, never having left his hold, was therefore on his back, in which position he was dragged at great speed over the rugged ground.