WHAT IS LEARNT FROM SPOOR. 137 



parts of Africa, i( may be taken as being more especially useful under the following 

 circumstances : — 



(i.) When any special kind of animal is required. 



(ii.) When some animal has been seen and has moved on, or has been frightened 

 away, and it is desirable to find it again. 



(iii.) When an animal has been wounded, at which time no effort should be 

 spared to bring it to bag and put it out of pain. 



(iv.) When the country is unknown, and there is no native hunter to hand who 

 knows the country perfectly. 



(v.) At all times in thick bush and forest. 



It is unfortunate that good native trackers for bushwork are so dilBcult to obtain 

 in this country, for, in following the track of any animal except the elephant, it is most 

 important to keep a constant look-out for the animal. When tracking elephants in 

 thick country it is generally by hearing them that you are made aware of theirnearness, 

 so a very sharp look-out is not so essential. With most other animals though, if the 

 greater part of your attention is taken up with tracking, you stand a poor chance of 

 seeing them before they see you. So, when you possess a reHable tracker, you 

 keep him on the spoor, and yourself walk a little ahead of him, doing your utmost 

 to locate the animal. If you prefer it, you can take turns with him at spooring and 

 looking out, calling him back to help you when a check or difficult bit of tracking 

 crops up. 



Where speed is essential, such as in following elephants which are travelling, or 

 a spoor some hours' old, it is often a good plan to have two trackers ; then, with one 

 of them, you proceed ahead at a rapid pace, and, if you lose the track, cast ahead 

 for it in the hopes of saving time ; whilst your second or slow-but-sure tracker 

 worries out the spoor in detail behind. If you hit off the spoor ahead you sign to 

 your second tracker to catch you up, whereas, if you fail in front, there is always the 

 tracker behind to fall back upon. He may have worked out the track whilst you have 

 been on ahead, or, at any rate, he will have worried out a part of it, which will give 

 you a fresh point from which to start. 



To be able to track at all well requires not only a tremendous amount of 

 experience, but also constant practice to keep you up to the mark. .Mso, while 

 similar work in other countries is a help, it requires special practice in the same type 

 of country as that in which you wish to track. The art is not only performed by 

 following the actual spoor-marks, but also by noticing various other signs, such as 

 disturbed dust, broken twigs, bruised plants, trampled grass, scattered leaves, spots 

 of mud, the brushing off of dew or raindrops, hairs or fur left on thorns and stumps, 



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