TAPIR. 133 



fascinations. At last we found the end of the 

 ravelled skein, and then for half a mile followed 

 the tracks along a wood-cutter's path. The animal, 

 having once made up its mind to go, had walked 

 steadily along the path without stopping to feed. 

 After a while it turned aside to ascend some rising 

 ground. For some time we followed the path that 

 it made for itself through the thick forest under- 

 growth, and then, after we had left the sulphur 

 spring some two or three miles behind us, saw 

 that the tapir had begun to dawdle and to pluck 

 such young shoots and leaves as had tempted it. 

 The distance that we had travelled had been covered 

 very slowly ; for, apart from the necessity of making 

 our way as silently as possible through all the 

 obstacles that the dense undergrowth of a tropical 

 forest can offer, the hard, dry ground had made 

 tracking difficult. By this time it was between ten 

 and eleven o'clock. Before long we came to a 

 place where the tapir had lain down, but not find- 

 ing itself comfortable, perhaps, had moved on again. 

 We were almost certain, therefore, that it was asleep 

 somewhere close by, and the greatest care and silence 

 became trebly necessary. In tracking a herd of 

 animals that are feeding one may move fairly freely, 

 for the noise that they themselves are making will 

 generally prevent them from hearing the sound of 

 any snapping twig or crackling leaf : even a solitary 

 animal, if walking or feeding, may miss an accidental 

 sound, but a solitary animal lying down will take 

 alarm at the slightest thing. We moved with the 

 most elaborate caution, therefore, every step being 



